The Shining. -

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was spoken of by the apostle John when he wrote, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) And Jesus, Himself, said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Much later, John wrote this, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:4-5)

Did you ever notice that during the first moments of the first day of the creation of the universe, in Genesis chapter 1, God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) He had not yet created the sun (which was created on day four of creation)? Where did the light come from that God separated from the darkness? Psalm 97:4 says, “His lightning lights up the world.” Paul told Timothy that the Lord “lives in unapproachable light“. (1 Timothy 6:16) GOD is light!

…we can experience more of His light in our lives and in the darkness of this world when we do the things that attract more light.

God doesn’t need anything we can give to Him to shine any brighter than He already does because He is who He said He is. However, we can experience more of His light in our lives and in the darkness of this world when we do the things that attract more light. Remember God will not walk with, tolerate, overlook or come close to darkness. (1 John 1:5-7) If you want more of His light in your life, WORSHIP. Yes, read your Bible and you’ll grow up spiritually and know Him more and have a living, active sword of the Spirit (and more!). Yes, pray and you’ll commune with His Holy Spirit and speak to mountains and cast out demons in His name (and more!). But also worship, minister to the Lord and, among many other things, His light will shine in you, upon you, through you and into the darkness around you!

[Watch this next: LIVE Devotions -“YOU are Zion, the City of the Great King!”]

“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined.” (Psalm 50:2) Psalm 80:3 says, “Restore us again, O God, and cause Your face to shine, and we shall be delivered.” And Psalm 34:5 says, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”

Under the New Covenant, YOU are “Zion”, the city of the Great King! God doesn’t need a source of light in order to shine. He is light. Out of your praise, your worship, the light of Jesus Christ shines because your worship opens the gates and lets His light in!

Thought for today

Here’s the thing about light: Things that live in darkness will scatter when the light shines on them. If you want more of the light of the Lord in your life, there is no prerequisite. There are no stipulations or conditions. As a wise man once said, “God catches His fish before He cleans them!” If you’re done walking in darkness or enabling darkness or giving little bits of darkness permission in your life or letting darkness have its way in your life, step into the light through your ministry to the Lord in WORSHIP! Be prepared, however – when you worship the Lord and invite Him to shine upon you and God says, “LET THERE BE LIGHT” – He will create something new in you and He will separate the light from the darkness and the things that have lived in the darkness with you will scatter- maybe even some things, like emotions, situations, strongholds, memories and even people- you were comfortable with. But that’s okay! You can trust your Savior! He “calls those things that do not exist as though they did.” (Romans 4:17) Your job is simply to invite Him to SHINE His light as you WORSHIP!