Category: Light

Counsel and Strength

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(Photo Credit: Krzystof (Kriss) Szkurlatowski)

“Woe to the rebellious children”, says Yahweh, “who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, 2 who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked my advice; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. – Isaiah 30:1-3 (World English Bible)

Where do you get your counsel from? Do you seek wisdom from the Word of God, or from other places? Do you base your concept of relationships on what you see in movies or television shows? (By the way, that’s probably not a good idea.)

In the scripture passage above, God is stating what happens when people seek do not seek Him. “Egypt” in this passage can be applied to the human-centered culture of the world. There have been times when I have looked to the rest of the world for counsel, instead of seeking the Lord. I chose my way because I did not want to change. I knew that I was supposed to bring myself to God, but didn’t. I preferred to stay where I was. Spiritually, I had chosen to sit still and not move forward in God. So although I didn’t intend to, I turned my heart away from God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. – John 3:19-20

In the short-term, it is easier to avoid God. In the long-term, life is much tougher and makes less sense. Why? Because God should be the source of our strength. We should not seek strength from ourselves, and not from the world. With God’s strength in us, working through us, we can get through anything. When we seek strength other than in the Lord, we get stuck in life, and it is hard to get “un-stuck”. Notice what Isaiah wrote later in Chapter 30:

For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. – Isaiah 30:7

Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I admit that I have often tried to build and guide my own life. I listened to the world instead of You. Please forgive me, and renew me in Your strength. I need Your wisdom, and I ask for you to lead me. In the name of Jesus, amen. Thank you, Lord.

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How Excellent!

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O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. – Psalm 8:1

Take a moment and consider how great God really is. He spoke everything into existence, and it was good. I’m so glad that God created sunsets. It is amazing, the way light and color are painted upon the sky. The Lord creates beautiful things to remind us that He created the heavens very well. At the same time, He knows each of us by name, and visits us.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? – Psalm 8:3-4

Compared to God, we are small, weak, insignificant, and quite limited. He knows that, and loves us anyway. He is mindful of us! And He loves us enough to visit us, regardless of what we’re facing. In fact, Jesus actually walks through our afflictions with us and carries us through them.

In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. – Isaiah 63:9

We do not often get delivered from our troubles instantly. God loves us enough to help us through them, though. He doesn’t waste the strengthening and faith-building that our afflictions provide to us, and He doesn’t leave us in our afflictions forever. He carries us through, in His tremendous love and pity. His name has power, and His excellent name is Jesus.

God created beautiful sunsets, and set His glory above the heavens. We can look to Him for everything. We can call on the excellent name of Jesus. He will carry us through.

 Prayer for today: Lord God, you created everything. Help me to remember how great you are, and how much you love me. I’m so limited, but you are not. Visit me in the ways that I will understand that you are with me, carrying me through what I’m facing. I ask this in your excellent name, Jesus.

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Darkness and Light

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 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. – Genesis 1:2-4

Before we are born again, we are without form and void. Another way to say this is that we are without purpose and void of Light. Spiritually, we have have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But God wants to divide the light from the darkness in us. Remember what Jesus said about light and darkness.

The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. – Luke 11:34-35

We are all born for a purpose. We might seek to find it somewhere in the world, or deep within ourselves. We seek purpose through our relationships, or career, or in gaining knowledge. It is so easy to be led into this type of thinking. We have been told many times,”Be true to yourself”, or “Follow your dreams”, or “Do what you are passionate about”. But are we really complete in the right relationship, or the best career, or in learning as much as we can about ourselves and the world? We may get some satisfaction from those things, and care deeply about them. But we are truly only complete in Jesus Christ.

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. – Colossians 2:10

The true Light of knowledge is in Jesus. By drawing close to Him and allowing His Light to shine upon your heart and mind, you will find your purpose in this world.

Prayer for today: Lord God, divide the light from darkness in me. Let your light shine upon my heart, mind, and life. I do not have all of the answers, but you do, and I am complete in you. Help me to know you. I ask this in your Name, Lord Jesus.

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