A Light in Darkness
I cut on the light on the headstone of our bed to see the pathway to the kitchen in the middle of the night. It helps as a guide for me to walk safely from the kitchen to my bedroom after I get a glass of water. The light on my bed is a small one, but one push of a button, my entire bedroom is illuminated. Now take a moment and listen to my heart. I cut on the light because without it I am fumbling around attempting to find my way around my home in complete darkness.
JESUS, OUR ILLUMINATION
Jesus is a Light as well. He is the Light of the World, illuminating the pathway to righteousness. What must be understood is this…without connecting with Him and choosing to turn on His Light, we as children of God are attempting to live life without a Guide. One important way to remain connected to Jesus is through studying God’s Word. First and foremost, we must understand that God’s desire is for us to know who He is and what He is interested in.
Jeremiah 9:23-24NLT states:
This is what the Lord says:
Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone; that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Jesus came to the world to guide us into a relationship with God the Father. We were created by God the Father because we were loved. Yes! Through Jesus Christ, God showed us that He really loved us. With love, He wants to guide us into the Truth of Who He is. Open the pages and start reading the bible as God’s love story to you instead of a daily chore and notice the change in your perspective of Him as you fall in love with Him as Your Perfect Father.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING GOD’S WORD
To remain detached from the importance of reading God’s Truth for instruction and counsel one may risk being veiled from the revelation of God’s words for our protection and correction. Proverbs 3:1-2 and 2 Timothy 3:16 are perfect examples of the reason meditation of God’s word is so important. The Word of God will keep us rooted in peace and will add years of wisdom to our life. We do not have to depend on our own thoughts, alone, and lean on our own understanding. We can use the Word of God to learn how to live out our faith in deeds because we apply His Word to every aspect of our daily life.
Proverbs 3:1-2 Amplified Version: My son, do not forget my teaching but let your heart keep my commandments. For length of days and years of life [worth living] and tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Version-All Scripture is God-breathed[given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction[of sin], for correction[ of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness[learning to live in conformity to God’s Will, both publicly and privately behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]. So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
THE POWERFUL, LIVING WORD
As we read His Word change takes place within our hearts. Through the Power of the Holy Spirit we are awakened to the revelation of God’s Character. God’s Word renews our minds by transforming not only the way, we think about Him but how we see ourselves as His children. Thus compelling us to go out into the world and spread the good news about who God is, through His Power working within us! The more of God’s Word that in deeply rooted in our hearts. The more we can fight against all the tactics of the enemy, Satan, and bring his kingdom in submission to the Kingdom of God. The Word of God empowers us to trample over the enemy! We, have a choice, to be conquerors over not only sin, but we as believers are called to take territories, such as communities that are under the control of Satan. We are called as the body of Christ to use our gifts and talents that are God-given to further spread the importance of repentance to others not to condemn others to but to set them free from the penalty of sin through reconciliation. God always desired to be close to us.
2nd Corinthians 5:16-19 NLT states: So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.
In conclusion, 2 Corinthians 5:10 calls us ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is a personal envoy sent from the head of a state. Just as a head of state sends an ambassador on a diplomatic mission, Christ sends us on a mission to represent him in both words and actions (www.theology.org). As we study God’s Word we can take into account other believers that have gone before us and learn from their example of how to walk by faith rather than depending on what we see in the physical world. We can hold onto our Heavenly Father’s Words to us that He will instruct us in the way we should go and teach us and will counsel us and keep His Eye upon us (Psalm 32:8)