The Light!

The Light!

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12 KJV

Background:

Jesus was in the temple teaching, and of course, there was always a crowd following and listening to Him. Be careful of human applause or approval; it is never a good way to measure Godly impact. Right in the crowd were the scribes and Pharisees who always sought ways to trip Jesus up or catch him in error. This time, it was a woman caught in adultery, and she alone was brought to Jesus for judgment. It didn't occur to the accusers that with adultery, it takes at least two people to tango. It was an opportunity to catch Jesus out, but as we know, He is the Wisdom and Power of God, and just by reminding the accusers of their own past and present, they all left, leaving the woman alone. Jesus took the opportunity to remind the woman, as well as the crowd, that He has power to forgive sin, and to give a new, fresh, clean start. I am sure that woman will be daily reminded of the close shave she had with death, and this will keep her from straying into sin. 

The Inspiration:

Like the woman or the crowd in the story of today, what decision do I need to make today? Jesus continued to speak to the crowd, after dismissing the distractions of the Pharisees. He used the opportunity to remind the crowd who He is, His mission to the world, and the expectation of God for all who seek to follow Him. He calls Himself the light of the world. Light has universal appeal, as it enables us to achieve quite a lot of things in life, but there is also a place of response or reaction to this light. I have the power to allow it flow in and out of me, or I can set up structures and processes to block it out. This is why I must go on from knowing to following. It is not enough to know all about Jesus being the Light; it won't do me much good to just know. The blessing is in following the Light; allowing it to work in me, so that my life's actions and decisions can reflect the presence of the Light. 

The Conclusion:

The impact and consequences of the Light are also spelt out clearly in the verse above. He who follows the light enjoys all that the light is and gives. You cannot have the Light and not have guidance, leading and direction for every facet of life. You cannot have light and still be groping in darkness and ignorance. This earthly life is quite complex; no two days are ever the same. What worked quite well yesterday has no guarantee that it will work well today. It is important to seek daily guidance from the Light: the One who sees, knows and hears all things. Nothing catches Him by surprise, and nothing happens without his permission. Total and absolute surrender to Jesus is the key that gives access to all that is God. He will not force me to follow Him, but at least he makes it clear what I am getting if I follow Him. As always, the choice of response is mine, and the consequences of whatever decision I make are already clearly defined. The rest is up to me. God's time of favour is here.