Tag: give light

16.e. “To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”

John 8:12  Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Isaiah 9:2     The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Isaiah 42:6-7    “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,  to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Luke 1:78-79     because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Isaiah 60:1-3     Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

Acts 13:47     For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Job 33:28     He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’

We have all experienced physical darkness. We search for light when the lights go out during a storm when our car is broken down along the highway at night, or when we wake to a sudden sound in the middle of night.  When we are used to seeing things in the light, darkness becomes a burden without it.  Sometimes it is more than a burden of being out of light, it is and can be frightening.  Light takes away the darkness and allows us to see all of the obstacles we would not have seen in darkness.

Jesus Christ is the “Light of the world”.  His light shines in the darkness and exposes all that is unrighteous, unholy, and apart from God.  His light shines bright on the darkest soul, exposing sin and the need for salvation, redemption, repentance, and forgiveness.  There are two reactions to the light of Jesus Christ.  One can run from it and hide in the dark shadows of sin, or one can run to it and allow it to flood over them.  The world is in darkness and there are those who choose darkness over light.  They will even create their own fake light to guide their path.  They convince themselves that this false light is the one and only true light of the world.  They run and hide from the light of Jesus Christ that shines brighter. How many times do we run from the light of Jesus Christ?  How many times is our sin exposed in the light of His Word and we quickly close our eyes to it, choosing for that sin to not be exposed? God’s Word is light to our soul.  Jesus Christ is the light of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.   The Holy Spirit is the light to guide us on the path to eternity in heaven.  Living any moment of the day without seeking and desiring the light of the Holy Trinity is living in darkness.

The entrance and unfolding of His word

“Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Psalms 119:129   Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.  The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.  I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.  Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.  Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.  Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts.  Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.  My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Proverbs 6:23     For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

Luke 1:77-79   to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,  because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Acts 26:18     to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 5:13-14     But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,  for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

2 Peter 1:19    And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Proverbs 1:22-23    “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?  If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

2 Timothy 3:16-17     All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

“Let us not enter into the testimonies, as a dry task, or an ordinary study; but let us concentrate our minds, our faith, humility, and prayer, in a more devoted contemplation of them.” (Bridges)

“obedience in more than outward action; it was obedience in soul.”

“It is painful to remember how much light may be shining around us on every side, without finding an entrance into the heart.” (Bridges)

“The word finds no entrance into some minds because they are blocked up with self-conceit, or prejudice, or indifference; but where due attention is given, divine illumination must surely follow upon knowledge of the mind of God.” (Spurgeon)

Exposed by the light

John 12:44  And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.  And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.  I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.  If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Matthew 4:16     the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”  

Luke 1:76     And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,  to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,  because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  

Acts 26:18     to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Ephesians 5:14     for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

John 3:17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: 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.

I wonder if we understand the difference between light and darkness when it comes to spiritual things.  Read this again: I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.  If anyone hears my words and does not keep them,”  How do we hear these words and remain in the light? How do we fight off the power of satan and his temptations to our sinful nature?  How do we even recognize this sinful nature, satan’s fiery darts, and those words of hope and faith from and through Christ?  Spending time in His word and as Hank Hanegraaff puts it – have MEALS.  Memorize, Examine, Apply, Listen, Study.  In Romans Paul says; So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”  The reason we do not hear is because we do not spend time in His word.  The reason our faith does not grow is because we do not spend time in His word. The reason we are unaware of the darkness we walk in is because we do not spend time in His word.  The reason we do not experience peace, joy, hope, faith, mercy,  grace, power, kindness, generosity, and love is because we do not take enough MEALS and are starving our soul from the bread of life.

Light shinning in the Darkness

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

“I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

John 8:12  Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”  Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.  In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.  I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

Isaiah 42:6    “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,  to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 60:1     Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.  And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Malachi 4:2    But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Luke 1:78    because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Acts 13:47     For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Job 33:28     He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’

2 Peter 2:4     For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

How does the Light of the world shine into an individuals life?  The word of God is this light.  So how does this light shine in darkness?  Scripture says Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  These are the places of darkness, full of sinful intent. The light we are seeking and if we are seeking comes from the word of God.  His word does not return to Him void, it will accomplish His purpose.  Think about being in darkness and having a flashlight but choosing not to turn on the light.  If you are lost and trying to find your way in the darkness does this make any sense?  Not being able to see the obstacles and pitfalls in front of us leaves us in danger.  This is not a very good way to walk through life.  Yet we choose to neglect the light and walk the paths of this world in darkness.  Open up God’s word and read light into your life.  Share the light with others.  Give God honor, glory and praise with a thankful heart for this light.