Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I AM the LIGHT of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the LIGHT that leads to life.”  John 8:12 NLT

How many of you would like to walk in a lighted path at night or drive on a well-lit road?  I do!  It’s easier to walk or drive because we can SEE!  We see a well paved road or the potholes that we want to maneuver away from.  It prevents and protects us from stumbling, crashing, and from the dangers that darkness brings.

It is the same way when we walk with Jesus!  He IS the LIGHT  of the world.  I love the The Message version of John 8:12 …” Jesus once again addressed them: “I AM the world’s LIGHT. NO ONE who follows Me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide PLENTY OF LIGHT to live in.”

When you believe in Jesus and you invite Him to come and live inside of you, then The LIGHT dwells in you.  He is not a weak, flickering, dim light … but He IS the LIGHT that when you focus on His brightness, darkness flees!  He IS the LIGHT that takes away your fears!  He IS the LIGHT that pushes forcefully out doubts and uncertainties that our fearful minds bring.

“The Lord is my LIGHT and my salvation; WHOM SHALL I FEAR? the Lord is the strength of my life; OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?

Why do we have lights at night?  Why do we put them on while we are awake?  It’s not just for us to move around easily, but it is also an atmosphere of safety.  To walk in a dark alley causes one to fear and no one desires to be there except those whose intents are to harm, hurt and rob you.  It’s the same way with the enemy … “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy …” (John 10:10 first part).  He is there to steal your joy, your peace, your patience, your love.  He is after killing your dreams and desires.  He is after you to feel miserable until you think of destroying yourself due to hopelessness.  Do you know why?  It’s all because when he’s successful in making you feel down and out, he gets to remind himself that he isn’t eternally doomed!  BUT when you REJOICE, PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD with all that is within you when you are going through, then that powerfully hurts him for it will SURELY remind him that he is FOREVER DEFEATED under your feet by the power of the Blood of Jesus at the cross.

When we worship God in the midst of adversity, LIGHT comes in and darkness flees. His very presence is The Light that settles in our midst.   It shapes our mindset from hopelessness into being HOPEFUL, full of hope! A confident expectation of good rises up within us and we will never be the same again.

Once we encounter Jesus, The Light of the world, the power of our testimony, HIM being our Light, will illumine someone else’s path.  And not just that.  His Light causes you and I to open our eyes to see and find the lost.  Our God encounters don’t end with us.  God always takes us to demonstrate  to others what He Himself revealed to us.  We are His hands and feet, the vessels of His presence to go and make a difference to those who are in desperate need of hope.  Jesus left heaven for ONE REASON … and that is because He loves you and I, once lost and now found.  He desires all of us to come home to Daddy God’s loving embrace but it takes you and I to demonstrate His love to those He commissions us to touch.  STOP FOR ONE and don’t stop for none!

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!  In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.

Photo Credits:  Gina Po