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.” (John 8:12)
By God’s grace, I am a redeemed sinner, a follower of Jesus Christ, the One who is the light of the world (John 8:12). This Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not and will not overcome it. (John 1:4–5). Those who have this light have been called out of darkness and are now children of light (1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Thess. 5:5).
Jesus speaks of Himself as the light of the world, but He also speaks of His followers as the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). We who follow Christ are called to shine as lights in a dark and broken world (Phil. 2:15).
Like God’s incarnate Word, His written Word is a light shining in dark places (1 Pet. 1:19), a lamp that lights our path (Psalm 119:105). The good works of Christ’s followers are also a light that shines and brings glory to God (Matt. 5:16). Sadly, the enemy has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Thankfully, the Lord can open the eyes of the blind (Psalm 146:8).
We live in a profoundly broken and dark world, but the darkness will not last forever. There is coming a glorious day when night will be no more (Rev. 22:5), but we have not yet reached that day. Because the darkness remains, our calling to be a light remains.
This world glories in the false, the evil, and the ugly. My goal for this blog is to reflect on those things in this world that manifest the true, the good, and the beautiful to some degree and which, in doing so, point to the One who is, in His very Being, infinite Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.
My hope is that such reflections might be used of God to provide a sliver of light in the midst of this present darkness (Eph. 6:12). With all of this in mind, I intend to discuss a variety of topics: the Bible, theology, literature, music, history, current events, and much more – all from the standpoint of one who is an unashamed follower of Jesus Christ. I also believe that laughter is a gift that God gives His people who are so often surrounded by tears. Laughter and joy are paralleled in Scripture (Psalm 126:2). We cannot take God lightly, but a sense of humor about ourselves and our foibles can be used of God to take our arrogance and pride down a notch or two.
For those who are interested in discussions of everything from the Trinity to Tolkien, from Bach to the Battle of Gettysburg, pull up a chair.
“Further up and further in!”
*Image by Wendy Corniquet from Pixabay