October 28 – Following the Light out of Darkness

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12 (ESV)

In the Old Testament the coming age of Messiah was prophesied to be a time when the Lord God would be a light for His people (Isaiah 60:19–22) as well as for the whole earth (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). This is the second “I am” statement. Previously Jesus declared Himself “I am the Bread of Life.” John used the “light” metaphor for Jesus in John 1:4; “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” The promise is for those who will follow the Light of the World. Follow Jesus and we will not walk in darkness. Follow Jesus and we will have the Light of Life because that is what Jesus is. Follow Jesus and have Jesus himself as our light in this life. We follow by knowing and understanding the Bible and what it teaches us about life. The promises of God come to life in the light of the world, Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord. Some choose to ignore this lite and remain in darkness because in truth, without Christ in our lives, there is only spiritual darkness. Let’s walk in the Light by choosing in faith to follow the Light of Life, Jesus our Savior. 

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September 6 – Lifting Up From Deep Inside

“Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”   Psalm 86:4-5  (ESV)

There are several places in the Psalms composed by David where he describes his prayers as if he is lifting up his soul to God.  That is how he expressed how he felt when he spoke to God and made contact with the Lord.  We can think of our praying in that way too. True praying must be from our inner being.  Rote repetitive prayers that are said over and over quickly lose their impact on our souls.  But the prayers that please God and that reach Him are those that come from deep within, from our heart and consciously formed by our mind.  We are promised that God responds in good and forgiving ways and that His love for us is steadfast.  And our soul is gladdened when God responds to us with that love. We can think of the phrase “For You, Lord, I lift up my soul” as another way of declaring that we are placing our trust in the Lord.  We trust God for what He has declared and we trust Him to hear us when we lift up our soul in prayer.  

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