"God is light, in him there is no darkness at
all." I John 1:5
"You are the light of the world........In the same
way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and
praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14,16
Our church has a
beautiful stained glass window of the nativity with Mary, Joseph, and baby
Jesus in the manger. If you look at it
in the evening from inside the sanctuary the whole window looks black. There is
no indication of the beauty at all that’s hidden in the darkness. On Sunday
morning the sun shines through the window, displaying beautiful colors and the
manger scene. The gold in the windows literally glitters and sparkles as the
sun dances through it.
I imagine that
seeing the stain glass window in the evening is like our lives without Christ,
full of darkness. I Peter 2:9 NIV says:
"But, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light." Without Christ in our lives we live in
darkness, but when we surrender our lives to Him, His light shines through us.
This light purifies us. I John 1:7
NIV tells us: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from
all sin." Isn't that reassuring?
Why would people
want to stay in darkness when Jesus can bring light into their lives and bring
them peace? Just as the light shines through that window and reveals its
beauty, so does the Son of God shine through us to reveal His glory to others. May you shine His love into other people's
lives so that they will be blessed and glorify God for your kindness. Do an act
of kindness for someone this week in the name of Christ and smile.....You are
the light of the world.
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for bringing us out of our darkness and
purifying us from our sins. Let us shine our lights before men so that others
will know your love and be drawn to your glorious light.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
