Thursday Reading: John 1 1-5

Key Verse: John 1 4
4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Devotion:
How many times do you go back to verses that you know, or at least you think you know, and then God shows you just a little bit more than you thought you knew? And how many times did you have to read that first sentence to try and work out what I was saying! When we go through God’s Word, He continues to show us the truth that is held within the words, not just so that we can be the best scholars of His Word but rather that we might understand Him a bit more each and every day. He has given us His Word, not as a book that we need to know word for word but as a book that will continue to allow us to meet with Him spiritually as He tries to explain His Word to us.

If we close our eyes to His word then we are going to find that we get involved with all sorts of things because we do not have that light that shows us what is wrong with what we have. Switching on the light at home or opening the curtains will allow us to see the dust or mess that we may have left last night; switching on God’s light in our lives will allow us to see the mess that we live in all the time. If we are willing to switch on the light then we will be able to see what is wrong, but as long as we hide in the darkness then we are not ever going to know what we walk in every day.

If only it were as easy as flicking a switch to see that light in our lives! When we live in a developed country we tend to take things like electricity and water for granted because we go to the switch or tap and expect it to work. How do you treat God and His Word? Do you think that they are some amazing thing that we will get to learn about one day or do you want Him and it in your life right now? Bringing God into your life is much easier than we think. It is no black art. It is no impenetrable jungle that we need to overcome. God is waiting patiently in a place where He is the light and where we cannot hide in the shadows. God is waiting patiently for us to open the door and come straight in.

We are the ones who make something big of it such that it is an unknown. We are the ones who throw all sorts of things up in the air and then stand in the confusion that we have just created. We are the ones without the understanding because we choose to stand in the darkness instead of the light. God has shown us all that He has created through His Word. God has shown us all that He has done through His Word. God has shown us how much He cares through His Word! If we come into the light we will see and understand.

Points to Ponder:
Do you think God is hard to understand?

Are you using His Light to show you the way?

Wednesday Reading: Matthew 6 19-24

Key Verse: Matthew 6 22
22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Devotion:
The more that we look around us and see the worldly lights shining, the more we are the ones that want to go off and see those bright and shiny things we see. No matter how good we think we are, we are always going to be drawn toward the light in one way or another; just like moths to a flame we rush in towards that bright thing without fully realising the consequences until we hit the light! Our eyes are truly amazing things when they work properly and when they stop working then we go out of our way to find ways in which we can fix them so that we can see again.

So if we do put so much into making sure that we have the right equipment to use, then should we not take extra care of those same eyes so that they will give us the best opportunities? Now I am not talking about getting the best glasses or having laser surgery to make sure that our eyes are in the best physical shape possible but rather of making sure that our eyes have the best opportunity to give us what the Lord knows we need. Having eyes that are good enough (with or without help) to read with is actually very important because that is just one way in which we allow God’s Light to come into our life – through reading His Word.

If our eyes are going to be drawn to whatever is shining the brightest then we should make sure that God is in our lives so that the brightest light is Him. There is no way that anything could ever be brighter than God, but if we are looking the other way or hiding behind something then we may well see other lights instead. Take a solar eclipse for example; when that happens we see all manner of other lights that we normally would not see because of the brightness of the sun. If we bring things into our life that are going to obscure God’s light then we should not expect His light to be able to give to us what it is capable of – we need a direct link with God.

Imagine what it would be like to have to live a whole month in the dark? Imagine how your body would crave for some light and heat that we expect each day when the sun comes up. Then imagine what it would be like to see that first glimpse of that bright and warm sun when it finally does come back again. God is our constant, enduring and pure Light that we need in our lives, not just once a week or once a month but constantly! Invite God in to stay with you and not just as an occasional visitor!

Points to Ponder:
Do you like sunshine?

Is God the One True Light in your world?

Tuesday Reading: Matthew 5 13-16

Key Verse: Matthew 5 14
14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Devotion:
I think it is amazing that Jesus would describe the disciples as being the salt and light of the earth knowing what was in their hearts. But that just goes to show how much He loves each one of us who are willing to listen to His call and to follow His instruction. He knows that we are not always going to do everything correctly and He knows that we will stumble and fall but He continues to love and support us in so many ways. He is the true Light, the Light that cannot be hid or corrupted in any manner. We can emulate that in part when we are willing to follow His instruction because for a moment we can be walking in the same path.

Let us never forget that we are still sinners and that we still go off the rails so to speak, but we can always be sure that He will be shining so that we can find our way back to the righteous path that He has set before us! What an amazing and wonderful thing to know that our Lord and Saviour is such a blessing to us even though we don’t always see it. If we are willing to allow some of His light to shine through us by following His will, we just may be called by this same name!

When we are willing to allow His light to shine through us the world is going to see us as being very different from it. In seeing that difference many people may well come up against us because we dare to show them up in some manner by following the righteous path whilst they follow the unrighteous path next to us – can you imagine what they would feel like having a bright light shine on them as they ‘get down and dirty’? God wants His light to shine so that people will be able to see their faults and their mistakes because that is the only way that they will be able to see themselves for what they (and we) are; sinners.

We do have the choice to follow the light. We do have the choice to walk out of the shadows and walk towards the light. We do have the choice to invite others to try and walk with us. But it has to be our choice that we make and that we follow through. God does not want people to turn towards the light, acknowledge the light and then skulk off into the shadows again. He wants us to be bold and walk in the light so that others will be encouraged to do the same thing. You may have gathered that this is going to be a week of light. Enjoy the brightness!

Points to Ponder:
Do you like hiding in the shadows?

Are you bold enough to walk with God in His light?

Monday Reading: Nehemiah 9 13-20

Key Verse: Nehemiah 9 19
19  Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

Devotion:
Why is it when we look for some guidance we always want the biggest and best things to guide us? We always prefer something or someone that is larger than life to be able to take us in the right direction rather than that still small voice that God maintains that we look for. Yet throughout history we see time and time again that God used the appropriate things to gain our attention and to guide us in the way that He knew would make a difference to us. Yes we can look back on many times in our own lives as well when we can see just how far God is willing to go to gain our attention.

It is not so much that we needed the biggest bang or brightest light to gain our attention but rather that that is exactly what God knew would take for us to get the point. It has been because of His mercy that He continues to provide the right things at the right time for each one of us. This is demonstrated to us so well as God led the children of Israel through the desert; what a harsh climate to be in – one that fills us with dread but also shows us our hopelessness.

God showed the Israelites that they could depend on Him, not just when they actually needed Him most but also during those times when they may well have felt at their best or at their safest. God is never going to turn His back on us as He continues to guide and teach us every step of the way!

I don’t know if you have ever had to face up to the scorching sunlight in a desert but it gets pretty hot out there. There is nowhere to escape as the sun gets higher and higher, but God gave the Israelites hope and direction every step of the way, not just the pillar of cloud during the day but the pillar of fire by night as well. The coolness of cloud by day and the heat and light of the fire by night; what more could He do to impress on us His merciful touch is beyond our expectations and everlasting? There is absolutely no way the Israelite had any excuse to turn the wrong way and run away from God – but they did. Just as we will continue to make mistakes as well, so they did. But His mercy bore them through the desert and so it will bear us through our infirmities and needs.

Points to Ponder:
What do you expect God to do for you?

Are you still waiting for an earth shattering event?