God holds us responsible for what we see and know and are able to process. Where we need more light, He is able to provide the grace to enlighten us. “For You will light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness” (Psalm 18:28). Where do you need the grace of more light to shine?
RELEVANCE
Paul appreciated the value of God’s enlightenment brought by the Holy Spirit. He walked conscious of the difference between the kingdom of darkness and kingdom of light. He knew that believers walking in truth walk in the light, and those trusting in falsehoods walk in darkness.
Paul, therefore, prayed “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians 1:10-12).
John also spoke of walking in the light. He amplified Paul’s teaching, but also revealed that if we walk in God’s light—His truth—we are cleansed by the truth. The opposite can only be true about denying truth and accepting falsehood.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)
REFLECT AND RELATE
Take a truth and falsehood inventory. Ask God to shine His light upon you and reveal areas where you may be lacking in truth. One way to tell is by examining the quality of the fruit you are bearing. How are your relationships advancing? What messages do people give you through their verbal responses as well as body language? Are they encouraging or discouraging? What attitudes do you discern? What scriptures does God seem to be drawing you to? Do you have inner peace; or is anxiety, fear, depression or anger dominating?
Darkness has a way of maintaining footholds in our life and keeping us in constraint, restraining forward motion. Light reveals truth, and the truth sets you free. Paul and Isaiah had insight into the spiritual dynamics of light and darkness. Isaiah revealed how the Holy Spirit is the source of God’s light. He reflected upon it, defining seven aspects: “the Spirit of the LORD, Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and might, Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2).
Read, meditate and pray through what other things Isaiah had to say about the subject.
REFERENCES
Isaiah 5:20; 9:2; 29:18; 42:7-16; 45:7; 58:9-11; 60:1-2