Light Shines in Darkness

2 Corinthians 4:6 “ For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” NASB

For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Amplified

 It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.   Message

For God who said
“It all starts with what God says. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word. Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light and there was light.”” It is the same with us. Job 22:28 “You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And light will shine on your ways.”

It all starts with what we say. Or does it? True we need to say what needs to be done first. Yet go back to Genesis. God spoke and light became. Yet before God spoke, in verse 2 the Spirit of the God was moving over the surface of the waters. We can't speak with authority unless we are moving with the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God moves then we move as He is moving. We speak as He wishes us to speak.

Jesus did not speak on His own initiative.
John 12:49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”

We speak as we are led by God. That is the same as praying in Jesus name. We can pray with authority and we can speak with authority. We can pray with confidence and we can speak with confidence. We can pray with power and we can speak with power. Just as Mark 11:23,24 teach. But just as in Mark 11:23,24 there is a prerequisite of faith before there can be power. We can also speak when we have faith first. And where does faith come from? It comes from hearing God's word with our spiritual ears. Revelation 2 & 3 says 7 times he who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Do we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying? We can with the willingness of living for Christ and not for ourselves. The context of 2 Corinthians 4:6 is death to self. We don't live for ourselves, but we live for the purpose of God. John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

We can have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying when we have a desire to do the will of God.

God's Light

I am always interested in trees that go to great lengths to find light. Here is a photo of a tree looking for light and continues to grow to the side to get to the light.

My walk with the Lord Jesus sometimes is represented by this tree. What normally I think would be good for me is not always the way it seems. As I find the life of Jesus in the Bible and the life of others as examples I am encouraged and continue to walk as I learn.

John 12:35,36
'So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”

Jesus is our light. He shows the way of life. He gives us spiritual life. He says walk so that the darkness will not overtake you. If we don't do what we see to do, we will lose it. It is important to obey. The Christian life is not just understanding. It is actions of love, caring and influence for others.

How do we obey? V36 believe in the light. And how do we believe? By deciding to. By rejecting doubt by stating the promise of the light. We decide to orientate our life by the light instead of cowering to the doubt and fear.

John 1:4,5
“ In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Jesus has life and light. Just as when you turn on light in the home darkness leaves. So when you believe in God's word darkness leaves.
NASB says darkness did not comprehend it.
Amplified: for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it.]

Darkness is the absence of light in the natural. In the spiritual darkness is the absence of life. We were in darkness before salvation. There was not life in us. At salvation light and life came.

When darkness comes all we need to do is turn on the light. This is believing the word of God and not the doubt and fear that darkness brings.

If we don't walk in the light we won't shake the darkness from us.

Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”

God's word shows us the way to live. It is our light in a dark world. A dark society that rejects God's teachings, so that sinners will be encouraged to sin more.

But if we don't go down the path with our light, the light will leave us behind. We should not stand still or camp out on the path. Go down the path of life with Jesus.

Lord lead us to follow you, remind us not to camp out on the path of life.

Matthew 6:22,23
“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

What are you looking for? The desires of our life will show where our heart is. Look to Jesus and gain life from Him. Reject the darkness and turn to the light. If you stay in the darkness the darkness becomes greater. 1 John 2:8-11 When you are in the darkness you don't know what you are doing. Choose to reach out to others as Christ would lead you. Don't reject others to maintain your own life.

Thank you Lord for Your light. Let me live in Your light each day on the path of life.

Walk in the Light

Job 22:28
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways.”
decree, confess, statement
being established
light will shine as you go.
These are the steps of Job 22:28

First we speak, then we are established and then we see where we are going.

The women with the issue of blood first stated her faith, then she acted on it. Matthew 9:21 She was healed after she acted!

Proverbs 4:18
 “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”

As you walk; walking by the direction of God, more light will be given. More light is given as you go, not before you go.

Isaiah 50:10
“Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

Walking in darkness with no light. In this condition, trust God and continue to walk even without light. And continue to walk without light. If you give up and make your own light to live by you will end in destruction. Isaiah 50:11 Don't give up on God. Don't give up on life in the Spirit.

Job 29:3
“.... His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness;”

Walk by God's light through darkness. IE walk with your spiritual eyes according to the promises of God. This is walking where the natural doesn't make any sense. Walk by the promises of God, not by what you can see.

Isaiah 9:1,2
As we walk in darkness with Jesus, we will see great light. First we walk, then light comes.

What is the light I'm talking about? Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” We live and walk by the word of God. You see to walk by with your spiritual eyes.

Isaiah 41:17
"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.”
Water is God's word. Ephesians 5:26

John 7:37,38
To believe what Jesus said is water to your spirit. And how do you believe the word? By deciding to. Mark 11:22 Is Jesus worthy? Is Jesus who He says He is?

John 6:63
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”
The word will give life to live by united with the Holy Spirit.

What do we speak? Do we speak what we need? No we speak what God shows us after belief has sprung up in our heart.

1 Chronicles 4:9,10 Why was Jabez honorable? He sought more from God.

2 Corinthians 4:13
Believe and then speak. Notice there must be death first before this can happen 1 Cor 4:12
See my articles on the cross. 

How do we believe? By hearing the word. Romans 10:17

A seed will germinate and start sprouting because of water and the warmth of the sun (love). Then after its new leaves pop out of the ground it gets light to grow more.

Our ability to receive God's love comes after repentance. 1 Peter 1:22; Acts 3:19

It all starts with repentance and being in the Scriptures.

Light to the Nations

I like the way this tree continues to curve to find light. Most trees will curve until they get clear of obstructions. This tree seemed to have obstructions to the right and as it got taller it had obstructions to the left.

It appears now the tree is clear and can grow straight up.

Isaiah 49:6 “... I will also make you a light to the nations. ...”

God makes us light.

We are sent as Jesus was sent. 1 John 4:17 as Jesus was so also are we in this world.

How does light affect us? You can't see where you are going if you don't have light.

One time I was in a motel room and got up to use the bathroom. It was pitch black and I didn't want to wake my wife up by turning on the light. I was just groping around the walls not knowing where I was going because I was disorientated by not remembering which way the bed was located.

It is the same in the spirit. Without the light of Jesus we won't know what to do.

Jn 12:35,36 "Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

We should walk while we have the light. Jesus is our light.

John ;8:12 "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

 Live by the guidance of Jesus from His word. Being a light is showing others the light you have. Use the opportunities you have to share the light with others. If we don't use the light we have we will lose it.

When we have the light we will love those who are around us.

Christians are known by the love they have for each other. That does not mean we do ignorant things to help others. But love will give a hand up for those in need. 1 John 2:10,11

If we turn away from showing love to others we lose our light to walk by.

It is our confession along with our care for others that brings light to others. Hold fast your confession. Continue to proclaim what Jesus has done for you, what Jesus is doing for you today and what Jesus will do for you in the future.

The works of love and the confession of Christ together, brings people to repentance of faith.

Further reading:
John 1:1-5
John 14:6

Shine God's Light

Let there be light. Gen 1:3
Let your light shine. Matt 5:16

God created light by speaking. We create light by working. Was speaking the first thing God did? And is working the first thing we do?

Faith has works. But before works comes there is belief. And with belief there is speaking. Hope births faith. Love brings the acceptance to believe. Love births a response. Our message without love is just a gong. With love it shows the way.

Our response to God comes from His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us.

Faith grows from hearing the Bible. Love grows from commitment to serve in obedience.

Just as God spoke and light was, so let us decide to shine for Jesus.

Jesus Draws

Jesus draws all men to Himself if He is crucified. Jesus is the light and draws people to Himself. John 12:32

v35 Walk while you have the light that darkness may not overtake you.
Jesus is the light.
We are to walk as Jesus walked, if we don't walk darkness overtakes us. To ignore what God has for us brings us to darkness. If you don't step out in faith you aren't obeying. You are then dead in the water and you won't hear God because He speaks to those who are moving. And if we don't hear God we are in darkness.

To break this, love someone else. This causes us to obey the great commandment. Then we are in the light and can hear God.

Luke 11:33-36
Matt 5:15-16
What is our light?
Our light is God's gifting to us. It is how we love others.

Let your love (which is empowered by God) be shown before men that they may see these good works and glorify God.

The lamp of the body is the eye. Make sure your love is from God and is not self serving.