Light of the World

"The true light that gives light to everyone 

was coming into the world.  

He was in the world,

and though the world was made through him,

the world did not recognize him.

He came to that which was his own,

but his own did not receive him.

Yet to all who did receive him

to those who believed in his name,

he gave the right to become children of God--

children born not of natural descent,

nor of human decision

or a husband's will,

but born of God."

John 1:9-13

The Light of the world dared to come down into the world He created, among the men whose hearts He knew only too well (John 2:24-25).  Yet He came, the Light who deserved to always reign at the right hand of His Father, gave this up for a time in order to step down into darkness (Philippians 2:5-11).

Why?  Why would the King of all kings do such a thing (1 Timothy 6:15)?  Out of love (Romans 5:8).  To reconcile sinful man to holy God.  To bring restoration to mankind.  To perfectly demonstrate His great love for us.

Let us worship such a God as this, who dared to come down into the world He created, knowing full well the treatment He would receive from the men whose hearts He knew only too well.  What love. . . won't you join me in worshiping such a God as this?

I am the LORD Your God

"This third I will bring into the fire;

I will refine them like silver

and test them like gold.

They will call on my name

and I will answer them;

I will say, 'They are my people,'

And they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

Zechariah 13:9

He faced a pack of hungry lions in their den.

Another lost his wealth and his family all in one day.

His faith earned him death by stoning.

One man faced ridicule and mockery for 120 years because of his obedience to God's calling.

Still others face pain and suffering due to health issues.

Many suffer death and loss.

Did someone say following Jesus was easy?

I have heard it said that if we would only tap into the power of Jesus, we would be delivered from all pain and suffering.  The truth is that I won't experience that kind of bliss this side of heaven.  John's Revelation revealed that, "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)  Until the new heaven and the new earth is created, however, I am stuck with life in a broken, fallen world.  

But those of us who follow Jesus do not suffer in vain.  God does not protect us from the fire of trial and tribulation.  Rather, He uses it to bring about His purposes.  I can trust Him that, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8:28)

Purification

When a silversmith refines silver he holds it to the hottest part of the fire, attentively watching it lest it be destroyed.  The blistering flames burn away all the impurities, leaving pure silver.  He knows when the process is finished when he can see his own reflection in the precious metal.

God is our refiner.  Malachi 3:3 says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."  The LORD holds me to the hottest part of the fire, guiding me through unbearable circumstances that bring pain and suffering.  His loving eyes, however, never leave me lest I be destroyed.   

As I go through the difficulties of life, impurities of sin like selfishness, pride, lust, jealousy, hatred and envy are burned away leaving a more pure form which reflects the character of my Maker.  Others notice more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as they perceive God's Spirit mirrored in the parts which have gone through the fire.

This means when I face health issues lining up like so many soldiers in formation, I can trust my Refiner to be using the pain and suffering in a way that will glorify Him.  Or when I lose my job, my life savings or my family, I can rest in the knowledge that God will use it as a hot, cleansing fire.  If nothing in my life seems to be going the way I had hoped, the thought that with struggle comes godliness can help to keep me pressing forward toward the prize.

Following Jesus does not mean life will be filled with only pleasurable and enjoyable things, but it does mean that the hard things will be expertly used by our loving and gracious Refiner.

Testing

I remember watching old westerns and seeing someone pay off a debt with a gold coin of unknown value.  The recipient would then bite down on the coin, knowing that if he could leave marks, it must be the real thing. 

While my dentist may not approve of this method of testing, it is a fairly reliable way to find out if an object is made from pure gold.  In fact, testing is necessary to determine whether gold is real and of what purity it is.  Several methods can be used including rubbing it across porcelain tile, holding it near a magnet, dropping acid on it or the aforementioned hardness test. Whichever method is used, testing is necessary to discover it's character.

In the same way, God tests me like gold.  He takes me on test runs to give me a chance to try out my faith.  As Peter said, "you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  (1 Peter 1:6b-7)

I can say that I have faith in God, but until I go through hard times I won't know whether or not that faith is real.  It's kind of like chairs.  Chairs are tested extensively and the chair industry has actually set standards to address issues such as the strength, durability, stability and safety of the furniture.  Even though I didn't know chairs were put through the kinds of hardships and ordeals a seat might receive in regular use, I am glad to know that I can trust them when I go to place my full weight in one.  There's nothing worse than sitting in a chair that fails!

Before God can trust me with big assignments, I must pass the little tests He sends my way.  If I can handle the little bit of money He provides for me, it might be His plan to trust me with more. If I show myself to be faithful to His calling in a small assignment, He could have bigger things in mind.  If I am able to trust Him to fight my battles for me when faced with a minor dispute, maybe He'll try me out in a larger battle.

Following Jesus means I'll be trusted to do the big things once my faith has been tested in the small things.

Proper Perspective

There is so much to fear in this world: terrorist attacks, financial ruin, health failure, war, and random acts of violence.  I also am afraid of failure, of looking like a fool, of being left all alone in the world or of revealing my true self.  There is a lot to fear.

God reminds me in Isaiah 43 that I have nothing to fear because He has chosen me and I belong to Him.  He is the LORD my God!  Take a moment to meditate on the words of this beautiful message set to music by Hillsong.  

Even though I mess up more times than I can count, I belong to a loving, gracious and merciful God who will not turn away from me.  I have nothing to fear because He has my back. Because of the blood of Jesus, my transgressions are remembered no more.  Then I can claim these words of God told through the prophet Zechariah for myself:  "I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph.  I will restore them because I have compassion on them.  They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them." (Zechariah 10:6)

Remembering who I am in Christ, a child of God, will help me to put things in the proper perspective.  He is the Lord my God. . . and I have nothing to fear!

Following Jesus doesn't mean I'll be shielded from terrifying situations, but as His child I need not fear.

As Erma Bombeck is famously credited with saying, "If life is a bowlful of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?"   Living my life for Jesus is not all roses and sunshine.  I must expect difficulties as they are used to refine me, test my faith and help put things in proper perspective, because I belong to God, the maker of heaven and earth!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember how God uses difficult times.

How do I focus more on the fire instead of keeping my eyes on the Refiner?

When am I so afraid that I lose sight of the LORD?  

God's Voice

Jesus said:

"No one can come to me unless the Father

who sent me draws him, 

and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'

Everyone who listens to the Father

and learns from him

comes to me."

 John 6:44-45

"My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them,

and they follow me."

John 10:27

A friend once said to me, "Too bad God doesn't communicate via text message.  Then at least I'd know exactly what He wanted me to do!"  We laughed because it is common to feel unsure about God's will in many areas of our lives.  

I want to follow God's lead, but many times I'm unsure of where He is located.  It's like I'm playing a game of "Marco Polo."  I call out "Marco" to Him, then I listen for Him to respond, "Polo," but I don't always hear anything.  I call out again. . . nothing.  I feel frustrated.  Where is He?

I know His voice because I heard Him when I first came to Christ.  He called me and I responded, but He was the one who called. He initiated.  I didn't ask Him, "Is this something You want me to do?"  I simply responded to His calling.

Maybe that's where I get mixed up.  I try to put the cart before the horse and ask God if He's calling me.  In reality, He is calling me but I am getting distracted by all that's going on around me.

How does God call me?

His Word

When I read, study and meditate on God's Word, I am not merely learning important truths.  I am taking God Himself into my being and letting Him change me, guide me and teach me.  

God uses scripture to call me to let go of harmful habits, attitudes and actions, and to take up godly ones instead.  He speaks through His Word.  If I merely study His Word and then go about my day without another thought as to what I read, I am doing what James taught about when he said, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."  (James 1:23-24)

God's Word is meant to be dissected, analyzed and searched as I look for His message to me.    It is meant to be applied to my life; I should constantly be asking, "What is God saying to me here?"

God promised that I will find Him when I seek Him with all of my heart.  This applies to His Word, as well.  I must approach the Bible with a seeking heart. . . then I will find Him!

God calls me through the careful and intentional incorporation of His Word into my life.

Opportunity

Dozens of opportunities present themselves to me weekly.  Activities, missions, group studies, outreach, service, etc.  The list can go on and on.  But surely God does not mean for me to be involved in all of them!

Henry Blackaby and Claude King described it this way in their powerful study Experiencing God:  "If you keep your life God-centered, you will immediately put your life along side His activity.  When you see God at work around you, your heart will leap within you and say,'Thank you, Father, thank You for letting me be involved where You are.'

The key is to pay attention to God, not all the opportunities that constantly pop up.  Then, I will recognized His Hand at work around me and I can join in with confidence, knowing that it is where God wants me at that moment.  

The Apostle Paul teaches in Philippians 2:13 that, "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."   God initiates!  He gives me, "the desire and the power to do what pleases him." (NLT)

God calls me when I pay attention to Him and what He is already doing around me.

Heart

We sing a powerful worship song called, "Hosanna" by Hillsong during corporate worship in our congregation.  While the entire song is moving, there is one line in particular that stands out like a beacon.  "Break my heart for what breaks yours."

I can't hear God's voice when I am only concerned about my own welfare.  Seeing things from God's perspective gives me a tender heart that breaks when I see suffering around me, and I am drawn to action.  But that kind of perspective is a supernatural work of God on my heart.  

David was considered to be a man after God's own heart but he fell away into sin for a time.  When he came back to the Lord, He asked God to, "create in me a clean heart, O God." (Psalm 51:10 NLT) 

It is easy for my heart to become corrupted by the beliefs of this world, hardened by the difficulties of life, and jaded by all the disappointments I have experienced.  But God can cleanse, soften and readjust my heart so that It is more closely aligned to His. 

Oswald Chambers points out that there is a difference between possessing the heart of God, and acting out of human compassion.  "Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by working along the line of natural human sympathy, because that will end in blaspheming the love of God."  

God calls me when my heart is intimately associated with His.

Hearing God's voice is not like playing a game of "Marco Polo."  Instead, it involves studying and applying His Word to every part of my life, focusing on Him and recognizing His work around me, and inclining my heart toward Him.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will let God's Word infect every part of my life.

How do I act out of natural human sympathy instead of with the heart of God?

What can I do to help myself focus on God throughout the day?

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