April 20, 2024

His Light

luke1.78-79adventlightBecause of the tender mercy of our God,
His Light from on high has visited us,
to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78-79

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His Light. God loved us enough to send us His only begotten Son to guide, teach, and lead us into a life of eternal happiness.  God had never intended for us to suffer and be in agony from our self-imposed guilt and shame.  Faith and trust in Him and in His Word is where our strength lies.

From the beginning of time God was very meticulous in creating our world. He took such care to speak the world into existence just so.  He created the animals, the trees, flowers, the fish, the grass, and the moon and stars.  Every little detail He thought of.  Imagine trying to create a world and thinking of everything—the oxygen, the gravity, the way things stay and grow in the ground.

How can we not be in awe of someone who is as thoughtful as our God?  He created the first man from the dirt of the earth and formed every little thing about him.  I mean, who thinks about the fact you need to blink in order that your eye would not dry out.  I am not sure I would have been so detailed.

If He can be that thoughtful, we should aspire to be there for our friends and family.  Forgiving as we go through life and not waiting for the right time, or until someone else apologizes first.  During this time of year, (and not just now but always), we should be the first to forgive and share the light God has created inside of us.  God knows our heart, He created us, He knew us when we were growing inside of our mothers.

When we were born, we came into the light. We were born into this world for a relationship with God and to tell others about Jesus, His Son, and how God wants us to live forever with Him.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to teach us about Your love and the good You wish to do for us.  Give us the courage to speak when we need to and be silent when we need to.  We want to share Your love with others…putting ourselves aside and loving those close to us with an unconditional love.  Thank You for Your blessings.  In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Shining Into the Darkness

luke1.78-79adventlight

Because of God’s tender mercy,
the Morning Light from Heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.

Luke 1:78-79

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Luke 1:78-79 resonates loudly with me.  The part about “…to give light to those who sit in darkness…and to guide us to the path of peace,” hits home.  It reminds me to be so thankful for what God has done for me.

Without His “tender mercy” I don’t know where I would be.  Would my suicidal thoughts have gotten the best of me?  There are so many people that I would not have gotten to meet.  How different would their lives be? And my family’s?

Without Christ and the Holy Spirit I would be lost and possibly not alive, but thank God that He does not let leave us in darkness.  God never intended for us to dwell in darkness.  Any situation that is dark or detrimental to one’s mental or emotional well-being, or anything that is just dark—is not of God.  Jesus came so that we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

God may find us in the darkness—we may find our way there or life may just be plain mean to us—but God never wants us to stay there. God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, to die for you and I.  He loves us this much!  And if He loves us this much, what makes you think that He doesn’t love us enough to want us to live in His light?  Don’t dwell in darkness unnecessarily.  God has made a way in, so that we can find a way out.

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Lord, thank You for the lighted path that you have provided and thank You for never wanting us to dwell in darkness.  Help me to never forget that when I can’t find my way, and it seems You are not near, that You ARE always near.  Always.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

His Light

luke1.78-79adventlight

Because of the tender mercy of our God,
His Light from on high has visited us,
to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78-79

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

There it was—the true Light
[the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which,
coming into the world, enlightens everyone
John 1:9 AMP

We all know the Christmas story…Heaven comes to earth in the form of an infant to die on the Cross in order to provide eternal life to us. That’s sounds so cold and clinical.  And trite.  But, sometimes, that’s how we think about it – “Yeah, yeah I’ve heard all this before.  I got it.” It’s not that it isn’t important to us, but we have just lost some of our passion, our awe, our sense of wonder and amazement.  Today, let’s look a little closer, dig a little deeper and see what we find….

So, why did Christ come? The answer is found in Acts 26:18.

“…to open their [spiritual] eyes
so that they may turn from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins
and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified
(set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.”

He came to open our eyes!
He came to illuminate the dark!

Isaiah 9:2 AMP talks about this same Light…

The people who walk in [spiritual] darkness will see a great Light;
Those who live in the dark land, the Light will shine on them.

Without God’s tender mercy and compassion for us, without the Christmas story, we would STILL be walking in darkness.  We would be unaware we were under the influence and power of Satan.

Selah – stop and think about that for a moment.  Imagine what your life might be like without His Light shining on you!?!  The most obvious answer is we would have no inheritance, no eternal life. But consider your day-to-day life.  There would be…

  • no source of comfort or healing…
  • no refuge from the storms and struggles of life…
  • no guidance when we are lost…
  • no peace when we are anxious and fearful…
  • no Light to illuminate our path…
  • no release from the bondage of sin…
  • no One to love us unconditionally, or to provide us with strength when have none, or be our joy when life is at its bleakest.

Peek into that manger once again. Do you see what John was talking about? Ahhh, there it is—

the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light]
which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone
John 1:9 AMP

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Father God, please never let me lose the sense of wonder, the awe, and amazement of what You did for me in that tiny manger in Bethlehem. I cannot image life without His Light shining on me. This Christmas let me be filled with such joy as I remember all You have done for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen – so be it!

Spiritual Dawn

luke1.78-79adventlight

Because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the Rising Sun will come to us from Heaven.
Luke 1:78

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This is an illustration of the new day springing forth.  Yes, because of God’s tender mercy, the rising sun will come to us from heaven…not anywhere else.  This is because the Creator is in Heaven and knows the start of everything and also the end.  He is the Author and Finisher of all things.  The spiritual is nigh; and we better be ready for it.

The night is nearly over, the day is almost here,
so let us put aside the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:12

In this scripture, Paul believed in the Lord’s imminent return to transfer the faithful of His churches to Heaven (The Rapture).

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain
and you will do well to pay attention to it,
as to a light shining in the dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning start rises in your hearts.
2nd Peter 1:19

Yet I am writing you a new command,
its truth is seen in Him and you because the darkness is passing
and the True Light is already shining.
1 John 2:8

All the scriptures above show us that indeed a day is coming—the new dawn.  As Christians, we need to be ready for this new day for it shall take us by surprise if we are not careful.  I don’t want to associate myself with this kind of surprise; I need to get ready for the day.  However we also need grace for us to sail through.  All the signs are being fulfilled. The time is here.

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O Lord, our God, I thank You because You are a great God who reveals things to Your children before time because of Your lovingkindness. Give us the grace to understand the times we are in and to live a life pleasing unto Thee always.  Thank You for Your grace; in Jesus’ name I pray Amen.

Emmanuel, God with Us

luke1.78-79adventlight…Because of the tender mercy of our God,
His Light from on high has visited us,
to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78 and 79

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

A sign shall be given a virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing undiminished deity
The glory of the nations a light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace His warm reality

Immanuel, our God is with us
And if God is with us who could stand against us
Our God is with us, Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

So what will be Your answer? Will You hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His Son but gave Him for us all
On earth there is no power there is no depth or height
That could ever separate us from the love of God in Christ