By the light of the night... - The Way of the Worshipper

You are the light of the world, just as Jesus said you are. (Matthew 5:14) Like the moon reflects the light of the sun, you reflect the light of Jesus Christ into the darkness of the world. God, like the sun, is the source of light. And you, like the moon, have no source of light within yourself, but must instead receive light from God in order to illuminate the world during the night. The only way to do that? Close proximity to God. You must “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7) if you’re going to be able to cast light into darkness because you are not a source of light and of yourself, but are merely a reflection of Him. Here’s a challenging thought: How much light can you reasonably expect to shed into the darkness of someone’s illness, or their divorce, or their death of a loved one, or their financial crisis, or their unjust prison sentence or their drug addiction if you’re not intentionally and actively staying close to the light of the Lord?

“…darkness isn’t the absence of light. Darkness is the absence of God, who is Light…”
~Alicia Purdy

John wrote, “Beloved, now are we children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) This world is filled with so much darkness, turmoil, confusion and pain that sometimes it feels like our light isn’t enough, but it is! Your job as the moon, reflecting the sun, isn’t to worry about whether or not your little light is enough to dispel all of the darkness. Remember, darkness isn’t the absence of light. Darkness is the absence of God, who is Light. (1 John 1:5) In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” That’s it! No qualification, no outlines or perimeters – SHINE.

Close proximity to the Lord is how you’ll shine and reflect His light into the darkness. It doesn’t mean you need to run out to the street corner and testify or make grand gestures to the lost. It means you need to worship. The presence of God dwells within praise (Psalm 22:3). If you want to be close to Him, you need to be a worshipper of Him, a minister to Him. Oh, you’ll shine! Without even trying! “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Thought for today

In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” When you are a worshipper, when worship is part of your daily life, your mindset, you worship the Lord moment by moment. Thank Him for everything that comes to mind. Get alone and sing something from your heart that pours out of you and doesn’t rhyme.

The dark world needs YOUR light – the one that beams out of YOU because you’ve been absorbing His light – to be reflected on them, to shine into darkness, to illuminate the way ahead (it’s Jesus!) and to chase away fear. “They looked to Him and became radiant, and their faces are not ashamed.” (Psalm 34:5) “May God be gracious to us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine on us; Selah, so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1-2)

Resources to Find More of the Light of the Lord Through Praise in His Presence!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. The nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)