I was
reminded this morning of a very dark time in my life. It was 7 years ago, my
mom was very sick, and I was not able to physically be near to her. There
really was nothing I could do anyway, expect pray of course. It is so scary
when darkness comes in the form of sickness… it feels like it will swallow you
up. I was also reminded that on this same day my heart was prodded to
thankfulness! Thankful that no matter the circumstances of life… I am loved by
a great God who never leaves me alone… not even when the darkness surrounds me.
When
you walk into a dark room, what do you do? Do you cry and complain about the
darkness or do you take action? Do you search out the light-switch or light a
candle? And where is that flashlight when you need it??? You could sit in that
dark room with the source of light right there waiting for you to connect the
power to light, or you could reach out to the light and let it illuminate the
room!
What
a picture this is! As followers of Christ we have the source of light always
with us… not just the source, but the actual Light! When the world around us
seems to get darker and darker… that is the time to let His light shine the
brightest! How do we connect the light in our lives?
~ Abide in Him! Stay close to
the Son and the warmth of His love! “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing.” ~ John 15:5
~ Be in the Word! The best place
to connect to the source of light is in the living Words of God! “And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the
only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ~ John 1:14
~ Identify yourself by what God
calls you! Christ proclaimed that His followers are the light of the world
because we have Him living in us! “You are the light of the world. A city set
on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a
basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same
way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see you good works
and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:14-16
~ Declare God’s Truths over the
dark situation! In those times when I do not understand what is going on in my
life… I always know I can claim God’s promises and what I do know to be true! Jesus
looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all
things are possible with God.” ~ Mark 10:27
~ Experience calmness and peace even
in the dark. Even when the light is not shining as brightly as you might hope…
redirecting your thoughts to praise and thankfulness to the Father can help to
make the darkness not seem so dark. “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of
His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but
for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy
comes in the morning.” ~ Psalms 30:4-5
Life
is not easy! Good news… the darkness will not swallow you up! Even on those
days when you feel like you barely have a spark left… that is enough to light
up the darkness! Just ABIDE… Abide, Be, Identify, Declare, Experience! And
watch the light grow brighter in you… bringing Him glory!
“On this mountain He will remove the veil of grief
covering all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The Almighty Lord will
wipe away tears from every face, and He will remove the disgrace of His people
from the whole earth. The Lord has spoken.” ~ Isaiah 25:7-8
Rejoicing in Truth!
Carin
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