With hope that this page will bring glory to God and attention to His Word, you are invited to check here most every day for a piece of scripture, thoughts on the verse(s) and a prayer. May the ideas presented here bring you edification and fulfillment as you continue your journey with Christ.

 

Monday December 20, 2021

 

Today's Scripture:

 

Thoughts on Today’s Verse(s):

When we walk in darkness it's difficult to see what we're doing, it's challenging to see where we are going and it's hard to accomplish what we are trying to do. Light is a critical part of our lives as it makes everything easier. It becomes especially apparent to us how important light is in our lives this dark time of year as the solstice approaches. Dare I say that without light, we can do nothing.

Spiritual darkness is very similar. When we walk in the darkness of the world, in the darkness of our own desires, in the darkness of our own merit and ability, it's really hard to get things done as well. The difference is that we often don't know when we are walking in spiritual darkness.

Isaiah knew what it meant to walk in spiritual darkness as he observed the people of Israel around him. He truly witnessed the greed and obsession with worldly pursuits. He saw and understood the pre-occupation of the people with those things that only brought temporary gratification. The truth is, not much has changed. People are still seeking those things that bring them glory and satisfaction in this world while giving no consideration for where they are headed in the next. Even their celebration of Christmas reflects that sort of darkness as it is filled with expectation for the perfect Christmas tree, the perfect Christmas gathering, the perfect turkey, the perfect gift, the perfect feeling and the perfect Christmas in general. The problem is, such a thing really doesn't exist and thus they are often left disappointed. The problem is that they give such effort and energy to creating a celebration that offers little or no respect, admiration and love for Jesus - The Perfect One - that He gets left out completely and the purpose for the entire party is forgotten. No wonder they end up disappointed. They are walking in darkness.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). The point today is not that involving Christ is your Christmas will make your Christmas better. That is still far too much a self-centered aspiration and really still living in the dark. The point is that walking in the light of Christ makes everything better, more meaningful, more complete and we begin to see where we are going. It will never be perfect this side of eternity but, the darkness begins to fade and His light shines. By opening our hearts and minds to the story and message of Christmas, we not only find joy and fulfillment in our lives, we find joy and fulfillment in Him! When we follow Jesus we find the light of life and emerge from the spiritual darkness that envelopes us.

 

Prayer:

 Lord God, O Great Adonai, hear our prayers of praise and thanksgiving today for The Great Light You have shone upon us. Help us to step out from the spiritual darkness that surrounds us and seek The Light of the World. Guide us to new and better understandings of the message of Christmas as the New Light who brings salvation to the world. May that message shine brightly as more and more people come to You in faith. We pray in and through the Light of Jesus, Amen.