A Light to Our Path

June 27, 2025June 27, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

Mem

⁹⁷Oh how I love your law!
    It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
    for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers,
    for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged,
    for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹I hold back my feet from every evil way,
    in order to keep your word.
¹⁰²I do not turn aside from your rules,
    for you have taught me.
¹⁰³How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴Through your precepts I get understanding;
    therefore I hate every false way.

Nun

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to keep your righteous rules.
¹⁰⁷I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
¹⁰⁸Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD,
    and teach me your rules.
¹⁰⁹I hold my life in my hand continually,
    but I do not forget your law.
¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me,
    but I do not stray from your precepts.
¹¹¹Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
    for they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹²I incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, to the end.

Samekh

¹¹³I hate the double-minded,
    but I love your law.
¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield;
    I hope in your word.
¹¹⁵Depart from me, you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commandments of my God.
¹¹⁶Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
    and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
¹¹⁷Hold me up, that I may be safe
    and have regard for your statutes continually!
¹¹⁸You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
    for their cunning is in vain.
¹¹⁹All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
    therefore I love your testimonies.
¹²⁰My flesh trembles for fear of you,
    and I am afraid of your judgments. – Psalm 119:97-120 ESV

The psalmist isn’t adept at concealing his emotions. You might say he wears them on his sleeve, and they flow freely from his mouth. Whether he is discussing his suffering or declaring his affection for his sovereign LORD, he is blunt, bold, and unapologetic.

Oh how I love your law! – vs 97

How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! – vs 103

I am severely afflicted. – vs 107

The wicked have laid a snare for me. – vs 110

Your testimonies…are the joy of my heart. – vs 111

I love your law. – vs 113

I love your testimonies. – vs 119

This is a man of deep emotions who has found his relationship with Yahweh to be a roller-coaster existence full of ups and downs and twists and turns. Things haven’t always turned out how he expected, and his life has not always been easy or explicable. Yet, he has found Yahweh to be a consistent presence and a constant source of hope and help in the good and bad times. Yahweh has always been there because He is faithful, trustworthy, and a covenant-keeping God who keeps His word and fulfills all His promises.

When the psalmist considers all of Yahweh’s revealed word as revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures, he is encouraged and energized by the wisdom and insight they contain. Through his study and application of God’s law, he discovered it to be not just a codified list of moral and ethical rules of conduct, but an expression of Yahweh’s character and life-transformative power.

When he took the time to meditate on God’s commands, he became wiser than his enemies. He gained an advantage over his adversaries by deeply reflecting on the insights found in God’s commands rather than simply obeying them. The wisdom permeating God’s law gave him a new perspective and a greater understanding of God’s will. In time, his knowledge of God’s revealed will and ways surpassed that of his teachers. This is not a prideful boast on his part, but a testimony to the life-transforming power of God’s word.

The psalmist confessed, “Your commandments give me understanding” (Psalm 119:104 NLT), and that understanding produced life change.

I have refused to walk on any evil path,
so that I may remain obedient to your word. – Psalm 119:101 NLT

Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life. – Psalm 119:104 NLT

No wonder I love to obey your laws! – Psalm 119:119 NLT

He hadn’t just committed God’s laws to memory and attempted to keep them; he had been transformed by them. Once he understood God’s heart behind them, they became a source of hope (vs 114), his treasure and delight (vs 111), and sweeter than honey (vs 103). They were pleasant rather than onerous because they became more than rules to keep; they were expressions of God’s manifold wisdom.

When the psalmist states, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT), he confessed the power of God’s word to change the trajectory of his life. In a world marred by spiritual darkness and an age before the advent of electricity, light was more than a luxury; it was a necessity. For the psalmist, the illuminating power of God’s word was just as vital as an oil lamp to light one’s path in the darkness. He had discovered that the Scriptures, including the Mosaic Law, the writings of the prophets, and the historical books, were indispensable for navigating life. These Spirit-inspired works were the revelation of God and provided invaluable insight into His character and His redemptive plan for sinful humanity.

When the psalmist read God’s word, it dispelled the darkness around him because “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all” (1 John 1:5 NLT). He discovered the truth found in Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?” He understood what Isaiah the prophet meant when he wrote: “The LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory” (Isaiah 60:19 NLT) and “Let us walk in the light of the LORD” (Isaiah 2:5 NLT).

God’s word could not only reveal the right path to take, but also illuminate the way. In keeping God’s commands, the psalmist understood he was walking with the LORD. The light of God’s word was pointing the way and guiding his steps. The Scriptures are a form of God’s presence. In His word, He has revealed Himself to mankind. As we study and meditate on His revealed word, we see more of Him. We get a glimpse into His nature and insights into His divine character. The stories of the Bible reveal His glory, power, and holiness, as well as His grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.

It is interesting to note that when God gave Moses the instructions for making the Ark of the Covenant, He also commanded what was to go inside it. According to the Book of Hebrews, “This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant” (Hebrews 9:4 NLT). The manna served as a constant reminder of God’s power to provide for all their needs. Aaron’s staff symbolized God’s power to deliver because it was used to part the waters of the Red Sea. It also served as a sign of God’s blessing on the Levitical priesthood. The stone tablets were engraved with the Ten Commandments, a black and white testimony to God’s irrefutable requirement of holiness among His people.

“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” – Leviticus 19:2 ESV

It was over the Ark of the Covenant that the glory of God was said to dwell. His Shekinah glory, in the form of a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, hovered over the Mercy Seat that served as the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. It was that glorious presence of God that led the people of Israel during their years wandering through the wilderness.

The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. – Exodus 13:21-22 NLT

In the same way, God’s word guides and directs His people today, just as it did the psalmist. His word reveals His will, displays His character, demonstrates His power, and gives evidence of His gracious provision. The psalmist had learned to trust in God’s word and rely upon His unchanging character. It directed and sustained him, encouraged and enlightened him, and convicted and comforted him. That is why he could say, “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (Psalm 119:114 NLT).

Father, Your word is far more than an ancient book filled with stories from the past. It is a revelation of who You are and how You interface with those You have made in Your likeness. It is a constant reminder of Your power, holiness, and greatness. It provides insight into humanity’s sinfulness and declares its well-deserved declaration of judgment. But Your word also reveals Your plan of redemption. It displays Your patience, compassion, and longsuffering nature. In Your word, we see your holy expectations of mankind as well as Your gracious provision of a sacrificial system and, ultimately, the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). I want to love Your word because it reveals Your love for us. I want to obey Your word because it expresses Your righteous will for us. Like the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, Your word guides, directs, illuminates, and illustrates Your presence among us. Help me keep my eyes fixed on Your word because it reveals who You are and all that You are doing. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Light in the Darkness

April 8, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
    against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
    deliver me!
²For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
    why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?

³Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling!
⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.

⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God. – Psalm 43:1-5 ESV

Psalm 42 begins what is commonly referred to as Book 2 of the Psalms. This section includes Psalms 42 through 72. Some believe Psalm 43 is a continuation of Psalm 43 because it is the only psalm that contains no heading. It also appears to carry on the theme found in the previous psalm. In Psalm 42, the author describes his soul as being “cast down” (Psalm 42:5 ESV). He feels oppressed by his enemies and abandoned by God. He longs to escape the mocking taunts of his enemies and experience a restored relationship with his God and Savior. Though he is disheartened, he remains hopeful that God will vindicate him. Psalm 42 ends with the psalmist practicing a bit of self-motivation intended to draw his attention away from his circumstances and back onto God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.– Psalm 42:11 ESV

Yet, in Psalm 43, the psalmist continues to debate with himself, displaying his difficulty in dismissing the devastating nature of his predicament. He wants to hope in God but can’t help but feel that his prayers for vindication and restoration are going unheard. He describes God as his “safe haven” (Psalm 43:1 NLT), but the conditions surrounding his life remain unchanged and anything but safe. Desperate, he vents his frustration to the only one who can save him.

Why have you tossed me aside?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?– Psalm 43:2 NLT

The psalmist holds nothing back, describing his circumstances as God-ordained and, therefore, inevitable and unavoidable. He feels helpless and at a complete loss as to what to do. He calls out to God but receives no answer. He begs and pleads, but nothing changes.

Yet, God’s apparent delay and non-responsiveness do not stop the disheartened psalmist from crying out for help. He is persistently prayerful and stubbornly hopeful.

Send out your light and your truth;
let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you live. – Psalm 43:3 NLT

Engulfed by the darkness of his circumstances, he longs for the light of God’s glory to break through and provide a clear path back into His presence. His reference to light is reminiscent of the theophany the Israelites experienced as they made their way through the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan. God appeared to them in the form of a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire so they might experience His presence and know He was guiding them day and night.

The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. – Exodus 13:21-22 NLT

God’s presence is always associated with light, representing His glory and majesty. When He appeared on Mount Sinai, His presence was accompanied by fire, lightning, and thunder.

All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.– Exodus 19:18 NLT

When the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of God’s glory, it was accompanied by indescribable light.

Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me.– Ezekiel 1:26-28 NLT

The apostle John was given a vision of the New Jerusalem, the eternal city where God will dwell with His people on earth. He described it as having “no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:23 NLT).

The psalmist longed to be immersed in the light of God’s glory and have the truth about his life exposed. He was confident that he would be acquitted and vindicated by God. That is why he boldly cried, “Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars” (Psalm 43:1 NLT).

Light eliminates the darkness and illuminates the truth. The God who knows all and sees all can shine the light of His glory into the darkened recesses of life and expose the truth. He can take the confusing circumstances of our lives and reveal their God-ordained purpose to bring about good while displaying His glory. Like the psalmist, we may not understand or like what is happening in our lives, but we can trust that God knows what He is doing and has a plan that will one day make sense.

This trust in God’s faithfulness and reliance upon His light-giving nature and truth-revealing power allowed the psalmist to close Psalm 43 the same way he did Psalm 42.

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God! – Psalm 43:5 NLT

Father, You are light and truth. There is no darkness in You (1 John 1:5). Wherever You are, darkness cannot exist. When You speak, truth always prevails. You never lie or fail to keep Your word. But I still struggle with doubt and allow the seeming darkness of life to convince me that Your light has somehow diminished and Your truth has been overwhelmed by the lies of the enemy. Don’t let me lose heart. I don’t want to stop hoping and believing in You, but I sometimes feel overwhelmed by life and prone to give in to doubt and despair. When those times come, please continue to reveal Your light and truth to me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Amen

Waiting on God

March 23, 2025March 23, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

²When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

³Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

⁴One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

⁵For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

⁶And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

⁷Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
⁹    Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
¹⁰For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
¹²Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.

¹³I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord! – Psalm 27:1-14 ESV

David begins his Psalm by acknowledging his unwavering trust in God. Despite the pervasive presence of enemies and the constant threat of difficulties, David knew he could rely upon God. He describes Yahweh as his light and salvation. Amidst the darkest days of his life, David viewed God as the rays of the sun at dawn, eliminating the shadows and uncertainties that accompany the night. The apostle John echoed David’s assessment of God’s illuminating nature.

God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. – 1 John 1:5 NLT

For both men, God was the epitome of sinless perfection. Wickedness and darkness were con-conspirators. Nothing good happens in the dark, which, according to the Book of Proverbs, makes it the perfect metaphor for the wicked.

But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over. – Proverbs 4:19 NLT

The apostle John described Jesus as a light shining in the darkness (John 1:5 NLT), but went on to say, “But people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:19 NLT). According to John, those who love evil “hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed” (John 3:20 NLT).

The apostle Paul shared this contempt for deeds done in darkness.

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. – Ephesians 5:11-14 NLT

It was the light of God’s glory that provided David with a sense of confidence and calm even in the darkest moments of his life. Fear of man was replaced by faith in God.

Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident. – Psalm 27:3 NLT

But David was realistic. He knew his enemies’ threats were real, and God was his only source of hope. Without Yahweh’s intervention and vindication, he could be overwhelmed by their wicked desires. But David wanted more from God than rescue; He desired a relationship. He longed for God to teach him and not just bail him out of trouble. He wanted God to lead him, not just provide him with a trouble-free life. David seemed to understand that the trials of life were there to help him turn to and trust in God. They were opportunities for him to see God work. So he prayed to God. He put his confidence in God. He looked to God as his source of strength and protection. He knew God would provide him with salvation as well as direction. So he was willing to wait patiently on Him. And he could encourage others to do the same.

Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. – Psalm 27:14 NLT

Prayer and patience are two things that don’t come easily for most of us. We may pray regularly, but we wait impatiently for God’s answers to appear. We don’t like to wait. We have difficulty understanding God’s delays, especially when we’ve already told Him what we want Him to do. What could He be waiting for? Why doesn’t He just fulfill our request just like we shared it? However, David’s confidence in God was based on his understanding of His character. Amid difficulty, David could experience rest and a lack of fear because he knew that God would save and protect him. If he found himself surrounded by the enemy and even under attack, he would not fear but remain confident because he could trust God.

David had learned to take his needs to God. His greatest desire was to spend time in God’s presence and experience the light of His glory and grace.

Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” – Psalm 27:7-8 NLT

But for David, spending time with God was both inspiring and instructive. He knew that communion with God provided him with insight into living righteously even when surrounded by the unrighteous.

Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me. – Psalm 27:11 NLT

Waiting on God’s answer had become second nature to David. The circumstances surrounding him were only significant in that they provided him with an opportunity to trust God and spend time in communion with Him. They offered the chance to talk to God personally and intimately. While he waited for his answer, he continued to spend time with God, and he refused to let delays in getting his answer dissuade him from trusting in God’s goodness.

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living. – Psalm 27:13 NLT

God is faithful. Like a shepherd who lovingly holds his sheep in his protective arms, God carries and cares for us. He is our source of strength, safety, security, and salvation from anything and anyone that comes against us. So why should we be afraid? Why should we become impatient?

Father, what a great reminder of who You are. My fear and impatience are nothing more than a reflection of my own doubt and ignorance of who You really are. I see my troubles as greater than You are. I see my circumstances as too much for You to handle. When I fear and doubt, I am casting dispersions on Your love and faithfulness. I am saying You either won’t or can’t save me in my time of need. But You are always faithful and loving. Help me to wait patiently and confidently in You. Help me to be brave and courageous because of the reality of who You are. Amen

Love and Hate.

February 16, 2015 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. – 1 John 3:11 ESV

1 John 3:11-24

Love and hate. God and Satan. Dark and light. Faith and doubt. Belief and disbelief. Children of God and children of the devil. John paints a black and white portrait of life in this world. There are two systems at work and at war with one another. As children of God, we have been placed in the middle of an environment that is opposed to our very existence. The world, as a result of sin, is in rebellion against God. Many in the world reject that very existence of God. Others, unable to explain their own existence and desperate to find meaning for life, have concocted their own versions of God. But to make your own god is nothing short of the rejection of the one true God. The point that John seems to be trying to make is that those who have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ are going to find this world a place of conflict and contrasts. The very fact that we are His children puts us at odds with those who refuse to accept Jesus as the Son of God and the only way to be restored to a right relationship with God. The result is that the world hates us. John confirms that reality. “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you” (1 John 3:13 ESV). Jesus gave us a similar warning. “This is my command: Love each other. If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:17-19 NLT). “You will be hated by everyone because of me” (Matthew 10:22 NIV).

John used the example of Cain and Abel – two brothers who should have naturally loved one another – to drive home his message of contrasts. Cain brutally murdered his brother. His act was an outflow of his anger toward and hatred for Abel. But it stemmed from his disbelief in God. He lacked the capacity to love Abel because he was devoid of a love for God. Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable to God because Cain lacked faith in God. “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain” (Hebrews 11:4 ESV). Abel was motivated by faith in God. He believed in God. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 ESV). John makes it clear a little bit later in his letter that God is love. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8 ESV). Love is essence of God. But this is not some kind of sentimental, Hallmark-greeting-card kind of love. This is a selfless, sacrificial, lay-it-all-on-the-line kind of love that is not of this world. Without God, Cain couldn’t manufacture this kind of love. But this kind of love is what sets the children of God apart from one another. It was what caused the early church to stand out from the crowd and set it apart as distinctively different. In the book of Acts, we read of the early days of the church as thousands of people from all walks of life and a variety of ethnic backgrounds are coming to faith in Jesus. “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45 ESV). That day, there were people from all over the world who heard the good news regarding Jesus Christ. “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” (Acts 2:9-11 ESV). And many of them came to faith and became part of a unique organism called the body of Christ. At that point, they became one in Christ. Their ethnic, economic, cultural, and idealogical differences were overshadowed by the love of God. Paul described the believers in Galatia in similar terms. “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28 NLT).

Our adoption as sons and daughters by God have placed us all into one new family. God’s love for us manifests itself in a love for one another that is unique and distinctive. No longer is our love based on earthly standards. Our commonality and community is not based on ethnicity, language, economic status, country of origin or level of education. Our unity is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. So Jews who love Jesus can love Arabs who love Jesus. Muslims who have come to know Jesus as their Savior can call Christians their brothers. Blacks and whites can love one another. Individuals who were once enemies can now worship together because of the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The way we know we’ve been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:14 NLT). Our capacity to love is our calling card. It is what sets us apart. And in this world, it is what sets us up for hatred. This world can’t comprehend that kind of love. It makes no sense. It sees it as a threat. It views it as a weakness. The enemy can’t stand it, because he knows its origin. It is of God. And anything of God is repulsive to him. But God is love and we are God’s children. Love is the greatest expression of our God-likeness. Which is why Paul wrote: “Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT).

Godly Fellowship.

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7 ESV

John is passing along a message he heard directly from Jesus Himself. It is a simple, yet profound message that gives us a glimpse into the character of God. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 ESV). Interestingly enough, in his gospel, John made the claim that Jesus was the light. He wrote, “He was in the beginning with God…In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1,4-5 ESV). Later on John elaborated on this light that had come into the world. He stated that God loved the world so much that He sent His only son that the world might be saved through Him. But when Jesus, the light, arrived into the world, “people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:19-21 ESV).

God is light. And as His Son, Jesus is also light. Jesus is not simply a reflection of God, but God in human form. “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 ESV). “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18 NIV). When Jesus entered the world, He penetrated the pervasive darkness that permeated everything. Sin had infected the world and the lives of men – even those of the people of God, the Jews. Jesus came to change all that. He came to expose sin. “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5 ESV). Jesus didn’t just come to provide us a model for living. He came to provide us with the capacity to live holy, light-filled lives in the midst of a dark, sin-filled world. “By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:5-6 ESV). How did Jesus walk? In the light. Jesus was the light and yet He walked in the light of God’s will. This speaks to that mysterious truth regarding the unique nature of Jesus’ divinity and humanity. He was the God-man – 100 percent God and 100 percent man. As the Son of God, He was the image of the invisible God. As the Son of Man, He was a human being who “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). Jesus walked in the light. He lived in obedience to the commands of God. He allowed the Holy Spirit to direct His path and guide His steps. “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1 ESV). Jesus’ entire life and death was dedicated to doing God’s will. In His high priestly prayer, prayed near the end of His life, Jesus was able to say, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4 ESV). Everything about His life gave evidence that He not only was the light, He walked in the light.

And John wants us to know that we should have the same goal for our own lives. Fellowship with God and with His Son should be accompanied by light, not darkness. To claim to have fellowship with God and yet live a life characterized by darkness or sin is to live a lie. “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6 ESV). The idea here is that of continual, repetitive, unrepentant sin. It is a lifestyle characterized by darkness rather than light. Instead, “whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (1 John 3:7-8 ESV). Our lives should give evidence of our fellowship with God. Our ability to fellowship with one another should give evidence of our fellowship with God. Anything we do that is characterized by righteousness is of God. It is a product of, the fruit of the Spirit of God within us – “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). Living in the light exposes sin in order that we might confess it. But living in the light also produces fruit. It causes our faith to grow. It purifies our character. The more intimate our fellowship with God through Christ, the more intense the light will become in our lives. That light will have an effect on our lives. John puts it succinctly and practically. “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness…whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:9, 11 ESV). But “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling” (1 John 2:10 ESV). We are to walk in the light, as He is in the light. And that regular, consistent exposure to the light will gradually transform us into the image of Christ.

Light in the Darkness.

January 9, 2015 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. – 1 John 1:6

John used the theme of light and darkness repeatedly. In his gospel, referring to Jesus, he wrote, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5 ESV). “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:9-11 ESV). The imagery of darkness and light was a common one among the Jews of John’s day. Darkness was associated with evil. Even in the creation account recorded by Moses in the book of Genesis, it describes the state of the universe by using the imagery of light and darkness. “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2 ESV). Darkness was the prevailing state. It permeated everything. But God did something. He was not content to leave things as they were. And Moses records, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4 ESV). In his letter, John describes God as light. Light is not just an expression of God’s power, it is the essence of His being. It speaks of His holiness and righteousness. It describes His penetrating, permeating nature. Darkness is the absence of light. Darkness and light cannot coexist. At the beginning of creation, darkness prevailed. But God penetrated the darkness with His very being. His presence changed the condition of the world. He created physical light to eliminate the darkness. He separated one from the other. And this is the very same thing God did when He sent His Son into the world. The apostle Paul tells us, “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 ESV). The state of affairs when Jesus arrived on the scene was marked by spiritual darkness. So God penetrated that darkness with His presence once again. But John records, “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:19-21 ESV). Jesus came into the world as the very light of God. He came to expose sin by expressing the holiness of God. He lived without sin (Hebrews 4:15) in order to demonstrate the kind of righteousness God’s holiness required. He lived the kind of life that God demanded. And His example exposed the darkness that was so prevalent at the time – even among the people of God. But Jesus didn’t come simply to expose darkness. He came to deliver men from it. He said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46 ESV). Darkness was not intended to be the norm. The presence of darkness is evidence of the absence of light. Jesus came to change all that. And John makes it clear that because God is light, He cannot tolerate darkness. “In him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 ESV).

Yet in John’s day, there were those who claimed to have a relationship with God, but who were living in darkness – in sin. John said that to say one thing and do another was to “not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6 ESV). There was a disconnect between their expressed beliefs and their behavior. They claimed to be in the light, but lived lives characterized by darkness. These same individuals were even claiming to be without sin. They were denying any darkness in their lives. And John said there were self-deceived and void of the truth in their lives. Light exposes darkness. The closer we get to the light, the more flaws get revealed. Increasing intimacy with God makes our sin all the more evident. But John reminds us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV). Jesus came to pay for our sins. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2 ESV). Our sins have been paid for. But we must still acknowledge them. We must allow the light of God to penetrate our lives and expose them. We are to confess them and turn from them. Our lives are to be marked by light rather than darkness. Our behavior is to reflect our beliefs and our fellowship with God and His Son. The apostle Paul would remind us, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 ESV). “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5 ESV). “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12 ESV). “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true) and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10 ESV).

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

God is light