I Have Seen the Light

Light. 

The Bible is filled with references to light, from its creation in Genesis 1:3 

And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light 

to our eternal destiny in Revelation 22:5 

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 

Nothing so pierces the darkness as the tiniest glimmer of light. Darkness causes fear and stumbling, while light suddenly makes our way clear. Have you ever tried to make your way through a lightless campground without a flashlight, or found yourself suddenly in a dark house during a power outage? There’s a moment of panic – the lack of boundaries, the fear of the unknown. The moment you light that candle or flip the switch on the flashlight you feel a physical sense of relief, a comforting awareness of objects around you, the confidence of where to place your next step.

Into a dark, dark world, Jesus was sent to illuminate our hearts and bring an everlasting light.

Matthew 4:16, which echoes the words of Isaiah 9:2 says, ”the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

The following verses speak of Jesus as the true Light:

John 1:4-5

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

John 8:12

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 

John 12:46

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 

Just as the bright star in the sky led the Magi to seek and worship, so His light today draws us into his Holy presence.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

Many of our Christmas traditions revolve around lights – a twinkling Christmas tree, bright light displays on houses, and my favorite – Christmas-y scented candles around the house and in the windows. Each of these traditions help us to remember the One who was sent to bring true Light into the world. As we enjoy every glowing light this Christmas season, let us pause to thank Him for bringing the light of salvation into this world. And may our lives be a reflection of the light that is within.

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

Let All Things Give Thanks

Psalm 69:30

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. 

Our song this week gives praise to our Creator God – our protector, our Savior, our Almighty King. Just the being of God and His relationship with us gives us a lifetime of thanksgiving. This is the easy part.

It’s much harder to remember to give thanks for the little stuff, the day-to-day life stuff, the hard-to-see-God-in-it stuff.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Wait…but if you’re praying for something, what is there to be thankful about?

You may have heard the story of Corrie Ten Boom.  During the holocaust, she was the only member of her Dutch family who survived the Ravensbruck concentration camp after being arrested for hiding Jews in a secret room in their house.  The lessons that she learned and wrote in her book The Hiding Place are always good to hear again.

     "That's it, Corrie! That's His answer. 'Give thanks in all circumstances!' That's what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!"

     I stared at her, then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.
     "Such as?" I said.
     "Such as being assigned here together."
     I bit my lip.  "Oh yes, Lord Jesus!"
     "Such as what you're holding in your hands."
     I looked down at the Bible.  "Yes!  Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here!  Thank You for all the women, here in this room, who will meet You in these pages."
     "Yes," said Betsie.  "Thank You for the very crowding here.  Since we're packed so close, that many more will hear!"  She looked at me expectantly.  "Corrie!" she prodded.
     "Oh, all right.  Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed, suffocating crowds."
     "Thank You," Betsie went on serenely, "for the fleas and for -----"
     The fleas!  This was too much.  "Betsie, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea."
     "Give thanks in all circumstances," she quoted.  "It doesn't say in pleasant circumstances.'  Fleas are part of this place where God has put us."
     And so we stood between piers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas.  But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.

Later in the story, Betsie comes to this realization and shares it with her sister:

     "You know we've never understood why we had so much freedom in the big room," she said.  "Well---I've found out."
     That afternoon, she said, there'd been confusion in her knitting group about sock sizes and they'd asked the supervisor to come and settle it.
     "But she wouldn't.  She wouldn't step through the door and neither would the guards.  And you know why?"
     Betsie could not keep the triumph from her voice: "Because of the fleas!  That's what she said, 'That place is crawling with fleas!"
     My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place.  I remembered her thanks to God for creatures I could see no use for. *


What are the fleas in your life and are you thankful for them? Does your life reflect a habit of thanksgiving - pausing often to say thank you for the big things, the little things, and even for the hard things?

This month, I followed the example of some of my friends on Facebook and committed to give thanks for something every day during the month of November and then share it. What a difference it has made in my perspective! It’s hard to dwell on the stress of the day when you’re considering something to be thankful for.

This attitude of thanksgiving is truly blessed by the Lord. He delights in the praise and thanksgiving of His people.

Jeremiah 30:19

From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained.

*Excerpt from The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill.  Published in 1971 by Spire Books, Old Tappan, New Jersey.

Lord, Have Mercy

Psalm 86:5-7 (NIV)

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, 

abounding in love to all who call to you. 

Hear my prayer, LORD; 

listen to my cry for mercy. 

When I am in distress, I call to you, 

because you answer me. 

Kyrie eleison – Lord, have mercy
Christe eleison – Christ, have mercy

These two phrases have been an important part of liturgical church services for hundreds of years. They represent an acknowledgement of our sinful state and a humble request for forgiveness.

The origin of these words comes from Luke 18:9-14 – The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

 
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Gulp.

How often do I compare myself to others and think, “I’m not THAT bad.” How quick I am to compare, to criticize, to judge others…and for what? To put myself in a higher position before God? Absolutely NOT. In fact, the pride that brings me to that point of judgment is one I need to humbly confess before the Lord.

In my Bible study this week, we learned about the legalism that threatened to divide the early church. My teaching leader posed this question: “Is my spirituality focused on myself and others (keeping a scorecard of rights and wrongs) or on Christ and being a grace-giver?

Do I lift myself up like the Pharisee or do I allow God to lift up my head as I bow before Him in humility.

Lord.  Have.  Mercy. 

And He offers it…unconditionally.

1 Peter 1:3 (NIV) 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… 

Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and your unmerited gift of salvation.

They Who Wait Upon the Lord

The Red Sea Place

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,

Where, in spite of all you can do,

There is no way out, there is no way back, 

There is no other way but through?

Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene 

Till the night of your fear is gone;

He will send the wind, He will heap the floods, 

When He says to your soul, "Go on."

Like the first line says, “Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life”? Are circumstances in your life leaving you emotionally exhausted? Is physical pain making you weary and unable to face daily tasks?

The poem above was written by Annie Johnson Flint, a woman who encouraged and inspired countless people through her poems and hymns. A woman who knew very well what it meant to wait on the Lord.

As a very young woman in her second year of teaching, she was diagnosed with severe arthritis that, within just a few short years, took away her ability to walk. Having already suffered the loss of her parents as a child, she was now faced with a devastating future.

And so she started to write. Her swollen, aching fingers penned beautiful, poignant words and phrases – all giving glory to God, and offering hope to the afflicted. As I read some of her writings, I saw that she surely found comfort in Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Although her body remained weak, her ability to write brought her life strength and purpose. The power in her words influenced generations of believers. 

 

The words in another poem by Annie Johnson Flint illustrate the strength and power that she found as she waited on the Lord.

The Threefold Promise

Oh, wonderful promises given

To those who wait on the Lord;

Strength for the faint who have fallen,

Power for weakness outpoured.

Blessed the threefold assurance

Thrilling the soul like a song:

They shall mount up as the eagles

On wide wings and swift wings and strong;

Run with the stride of the racer,

Leaping unwearied and free,

Till he comes to the end of his journey

And the crown of his effort shall see.

But the word for the worn and the weary,

Who know not the rapture of wings,

Who know not the joy of the runner,

What infinite comfort it brings!

Walk and not faint; the slow steppings,

The plodding dull round of the days,

The toil and the heat and the burdens,

The wearying halts and delays.

Oh, promise for those who are walking,

Who falter and stumble and fall,

The courage, the strength and the patience,

This is the sweetest of all.