Bring on the floodlights! I don’t know about you, but I want to shine with the light of Jesus. When people tell me I’m glowing, that is the greatest compliment! For us to truly shine, our hearts need to be in alignment with God and his will for us.
It is his light and love that fuels us and keeps us going. Like the energizer bunny has a battery, we have Jesus. But we need to be careful not to be distracted or drawn in by evil. As we know, the evil one is crafty and often tricks us into believing lies. Those lies may start as corners of darkness in our lives, but it can soon envelope the room of our hearts if we aren’t careful.
Interesting that Jesus talks of Jonah here. It is an analogy I know. The people finally looked at Jonah and realized he was sent by God. They listened. They were saved. The people of Ninevah were spared. When will the people start to really believe Jesus was sent from God?
Jesus was getting a little frustrated here with the people’s blindness to who was standing in their midst. He even mentions Solomon, known to be a wise king. Jesus had to be scratching his head – why weren’t people listening to him, still egging him on to do miraculous signs to prove his identity.
Think about that for a second. Do we sometimes do the same thing? We want God to “give us a sign” when we’re trying to make a decision. Or, if we’re struggling in our faith, we may beg to hear from God to know that he really exists. God’s word is our constant. It is alive. It will speak to us differently each time we read it. If we let it.
When reading the Bible, do you ever find yourself just reading the words, the familiar words, and then moving on? Part of the reason I’m breaking our devotional readings into small bite size pieces is so we can get away from that trap. (Again, the evil one!) The worry I have in doing this is taking something out of context.
Rest assured, I’ve got a Biblical scholar hubby who won’t let me post something that isn’t right. He’s not my editor, he’s one of my subscribers. We often have conversations about these devotions. If he is troubled by a route I’ve taken, we talk through it. I will then change what I’ve written to be more true to the text. You are in good hands.
So what about the light? Do you feel like you are living in darkness? Is the darkness from the corners starting to take over? Do you wish your bulb was burning brighter? Jesus gives us hope and fills our life with light. We probably all need a little more Jesus in our life. We know he was sent from God for us. That knowledge is a mighty thing the people of his day did not have. Rest in the light of Jesus today.
Let’s pray. Father God, you are awesome beyond compare. Your wisdom surpasses my understanding. Thank you for sending Jesus, the light of the world. May his brightness reflect in me today. May I radiate with your goodness. I trust you to move in our lives. I’ve given you my problems and am excited to see how you solve them. Thank you for the peace you have given me as I wait for your glorious will to be done in my life. Having you by my side is the best thing ever. May my actions and words be pleasing to you today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
