Walking in the Light

"This is the message we heard from Jesus

and now declare to you:

God is light, 

and there is no darkness in him at all.

So we are lying if we say we have fellowship

with God but go on living in spiritual darkness;

we are not practicing the truth.

But if we are living in the light,

as God is in the light,

then we have fellowship with each other,

and the blood of Jesus, his Son,

cleanses us from all sin."

1 John 1:5-7 NLT

The darkness was so absolute that no matter how long I waited for my bleary eyes to adjust, I couldn't make out a shadow or shape in the inky blackness.  I was camping with my family and had awoken suddenly in the middle of the night needing to make a trip to the outhouse.  Not being able to distinguish any objects within the tent, I groped around blindly for the flashlight I had placed beside my pillow before I went to sleep a few hours earlier.

Just as I could not have made my way through such darkness without the benefit of my flashlight, so I cannot live in such a dark world without getting sucked into it's evil unless I have the advantage of the Light.  I have no goodness within myself that would give me a chance at living in such darkness and not becoming a part of it.  Consequently, it is vital that I walk closely with my Father so as to reap the benefits of His radiance.

Fellowship with God

Sometimes the words of an old hymn come to mind and today is no exception.  Ponder the words of the favorite, "What a Friend we have in Jesus," and consider the privilege of being able to enter into the presence of a holy God. 

"What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer."

When I live my life in the glow of God's presence through faith in Jesus Christ, I inherit the awesome privilege of an intimate relationship with my Creator, the opportunity to interact with Him, the chance to experience His power and love, and the ability to know a peace that cannot be fathomed.

Walking closely with my Father results in fellowship with Him.

Fellowship with Others

The children played together in the front yard as their mother watched in adoration.  Her brood of five shared, helped each other and simply got along marvelously.  This was certainly a day to go down in the history books, and one which this mother would not soon forget.

There is nothing more gratifying for a parent than to see her children enjoying a close relationship.  It is not so different from our heavenly Father.  He put his children together so we could accept all members of His family as equal (James 2:1), to support each other in the good times and during difficult times (Romans 12:15), and to provide a system of checks and balances as we hold one another accountable. (Galatians 6:1-2)

Walking closely with my Father results in fellowship with one another.

Purification of all Sin

It's always there with me like some kind of horrible parasite.  The more attention I pay to it, the bigger it seems to get and the harder it is to ignore.  How can I live a life for God when sin keeps getting in my way?

As a follower of Christ, I am set free from my previous bondage to sin.  While there is nothing good within me because I am sinful to the core, I have been cleansed from this sin by the blood of Jesus.  Now I have a choice, whereas before I could do nothing other than give into my sinful nature.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord who has delivered me from the inevitability of sin and death and into the glorious option of righteousness.  I now have the power to choose God's ways over my own wretched wickedness.  (Romans 6:15-18)  And the amazing thing is that as I walk with Him, He transforms my heart so I prefer His way over of mine!  (Philippians 2:12-13)

Walking closely with my Father results in freedom from sin's power.

There are only two alternatives in this life: Light or Darkness.  If I claim to follow Jesus, I had better choose the Light.  When I do, I will find I have the amazing benefit of fellowship with a holy God as well as with all His children.  In addition, I inherit the righteousness that comes by faith that leaves me with a desire and the power to please Him.  This day I will choose to walk in the Light!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can see the benefits of choosing my God who loves me.

In what ways do I slip into the darkness of this world without a second thought?

When have I experienced fellowship with God and how can that spur me on?