Are You Ready To Journey Into the Light Of Eternity?
Good Morning Friends,
Friends, it is a paradox of living in two kingdoms but having one King. Never the less it is our duty to be worshipping the King of Light and the King of Eternity learning that they are one. But for now in our culture the Kingdom is linked to the cycle of light and darkness in our lives. Each day the sun rises and sets. Each day we close our eyes, perhaps to dream and then open them, perhaps refreshed but perhaps not. Each season the days get either longer or shorter. And the dark days sometimes darken our soul and depress us with the reality of the cycle of life. That sadness can overwhelm us unless we have the God of Eternity in our hearts as well. Thankfully God has the timing down right. When the fruit tree is to blossom God brings forth fruit. When we are to blossom, God prepares us. You see God knows the exact time for everything to happen according to His purposes. Submitting to those purposes and timing is the Christian Crossing… Are You Ready To Journey Into the Light Of Eternity?
Scripture: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 (NRSV)
The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not look with their eyes, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God. Then Jesus cried aloud: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.
John 12:34-46 (NRSV)
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSV)
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20 (NRSV)
Message: The colors of the paraments where we worship are changed throughout the church year. At Christmas and Easter they are white like light, at other times purple for sacrifice, at other times green denoting growth. So too we must accept the call to share the shades of light in us. Sometimes the darkness is like a sacrifice of the seed in us. Sometimes we need to be patient enough to await the harvest. Today’s scripture foretells of Christ’s death on the cross, the darkest hour of eternity and His resurrection, the brightest moment in all of history…events beyond time but paradoxically in each moment of our time. Like Christ we are born into a world of darkness in desperate need of Christ’s light being born in us to shine through us so we might bear the fruit He has created us to produce. We have been given His light so that we might focus it on the darkness, a light to be focused on sacrifice…brokenness, the sacrifice of a seed. Shining a light in a world consumed by darkness is often difficult work. Inviting Jesus to shine a light on our own darkness is the most difficult. Unfortunately we often do not have the patience to wait for the harvest the light prompts. It is also difficult because Christ’s light is moving. It is difficult to keep up but easy to stay in one place spiritually. To be in the light means you must be growing. Being a Christ-like light in a world sometimes means being in a clash with the world. This is a difficult journey that carries with it certain costs, costs we are reluctant to bear. Sometimes on the journey we find Christ in the culture and can encouraging it. Yes we live in a world that is sometimes light and sometimes dark. We live a life that is sometimes saint and sometimes sinner. So how do we engage the strength and power of the light in a world so changing? Perhaps somedays we too need to be a paradox. Just as Christ is both Lamb and Shepherd…both the Gift and the Cost, we too must be both a transforming tool of Christ cultivating the garden and also the seed that sprouts above the culture to reach God’s light.
Pray that the Lord’s purpose will prevail in us…that the plans of our hearts will submit to God’s peace. Pray that God help us to understand that we must die to self before we are resurrected…to live, our sins need to die on the cross. Pray God help us learn that we do not bear fruit for the Kingdom until the seeds of our priorities, possessions and personality are broken for Christ just as His body was broken for us. Pray then that we know that Christ is the light that brings forth growth and the harvest.
Pray that God would wipe our eyes with tears so we might see the light. Pray that we listen to the groaning of our hearts as we sow the seed of God’s Word with others.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 