Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. It was just the way that the sun was shinning through the trees that made the fern stand out from the others and seem just a little bit brighter. The fern wasn’t creating any light itself, it was just reflecting the light of the sun. It lifted my heart and brought me a little joy as we walked along the path that early morning. God calls us to be like that fern. We need to reflect his light in times of darkness and illuminate the way for others. Sometimes it takes courage to take your light out from under its hiding place. We doubt the beauty and importance of our little light. The world needs your light for that is how they will see the Father’s light. Someone today needs to see the Father’s love and light reflected in your life. They need to see the beauty and peace of his love.
Prayer Father of Light Give us the courage to live our lives today in such a way that we reflect your perfect light and love to those who are facing times of darkness. Make the light we reflect be gentle and humble, not overpowering but enough to light the path ahead. Amen
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“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” Taking pictures of wildflowers is a challenge. First you have to know where to find them and do some hiking to get there. Then the conditions have to be just right, soft light from the right direction and little or no wind - and a few drops of rain are even better. You also have to have a camera that can focus on close objects. Our modern digital cameras are really amazing light machines, especially the ability to autofocus, which works when we simply push the button. The simplest and most accurate kind of autofocus is called contrast detection. It works by looking for the contrast, the difference, between areas of light. Still taking a picture of an object as small as a hepatica bloom less than an inch across requires the photographer to develop skill and have patience.
In a way our eyes work the same way that a camera interprets light to create a clear, sharp image. How you focus your eyes, where you gaze, illuminates your thoughts. When we set our focus on God his love dispels the darkness of the world. But is easy to get drawn out of focus. It takes effort to develop our contrast detection autofocus abilities. When we do allow our focus to be drawn to God we see his beauty and the beauty of his world. It changes us from the inside. His light illuminates us and we can be a light in the darkness of this world. Prayer Father of Heavenly Light Help us hone our focus on you. Open our eyes to your beauty. Illuminate our souls so that we can see where we can best meet the needs of others in the world. Amen The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? There is nothing like a blue sky day early in the morning to bring a sense of joy and new life. The sun shining low in the sky intensifies the green of the grass against the deep blue of the sky. It is the color and direction of the light that makes the colors so vivid and made my heart so full of joy that morning I took this picture. After studying photography for a while I have come to think about light more deeply. I am learning to understand light, to see its color and notice its direction and intensity. Knowing more about light helps me to understand and appreciate more what David meant when he describes the Lord as his light. It is the Lord who brings direction and color and intensity to my life. It is in God’s light that we see our salvation. It is the light of the Lord that takes away the fear of darkness.
Prayer Lord of Light Break into our day with your light. Teach us to see your light in our world. Amen For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. The light fell on the road that fall morning, golden light, beautiful, breath-taking light. And I got to see it for I was the only one there. I had been to the falls to see the sunrise and there was no one in sight. It was so quiet the whole time I was there and on the road back I just drove slowly with my window down listening and watching the light. Without light we see no color, no detail. We can't even tell what an object is without light. When I read these words from Paul I was amazed again that we are light in the Lord. We are to walk in God’s light and use that light to discern what is pleasing to him. Walk today in the light of God’s love and you will produce fruit that is good and right and true.
Prayer Father of Light Help us to walk in your perfect light. As we walk in your light may we show others that live in darkness your perfect light. Amen Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Our earth revolves around the sun in a continual orbit, without a beginning or an end. But man, through the centuries, has felt the need to mark a beginning time for practical, cultural, religious, and political reasons. In modern North America we celebrate the “beginning” of the year in the darkness of winter. Like our physical winter, we each have winters in our lives when the daylight hours are short and the hours of darkness are long. Thankfully we don’t have to live in the long, dark days of winter, for each day from here forward, as in our physical world, the hours of light increase. When darkness comes over you, look to these words of Isaiah. Even when it is hard, “Arise, shine” for Jesus has brought the light of God’s glory into our world. We have this promise: “the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” In this new year of 2019 may you arise, shine and walk into the light of God, sharing that light with others.
Prayer Glorious Lord Shine your glorious light in our lives and help us to walk in it this year. Give us the courage to arise and shine and reflect your light to others. Amen Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high The sun broke through the clouds this morning on the way to church. For a short moment there were blue skies. The clouds have returned and it is raining now, but my heart is filled with joy. There will always be cloudy days but today I rejoice for those days when the darkness is gone and the splendor of light that can only come from God breaks into our lives. On this day, I pray that you find joy by looking to Christ and thereby find light. Join me as I sing this hymn by Walter Smith that tells of the “splendor of light,” as my prayer.
Prayer Immortal, Invisible God Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love. To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small; In all life Thou livest, the true life of all; We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight; All praise we would render; oh, help us to see ’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee. Amen Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; There is a church that we pass when we drive to through the mountains of North Carolina, far away from any large bodies of water, named Lighthouse Baptist Church. I decided that I would just do a little google search to see if there were any other Lighthouse Churches and even found a Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church in my own county. The purpose of a lighthouse, of course, is to shine light in dangerous places and I guess that is why so many churches choose a lighthouse as part of their name. I have never needed a lighthouse but I do need light and truth. God’s word has been a guiding light for me and the more I read it the closer I come to dwelling with God.
Prayer Lord of Light Thanking you for sending your light. Thank you for the lighthouse keepers who have helped me study your word and shown me the way to Jesus. Amen Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; When the sun is low in the sky, like after a sunrise, it changes the color of things. Rocks that are gray and black now reflect a beautiful golden glow. The water reflects the blue of the sky and the clouds reflect the light of the sun. To see this beautiful light you must get up in the dark, make your way to a place to see the eastern sky, and wait patiently for the sun rise over the horizon. Then when you think it is time to pack up, look around and you and see the way the sun lights up the surroundings.
We need to look for God’s light and his truth like a photographer looks for the golden light after sunrise. When we do we will see beautiful things that can only be seen when we seek him. His light will lead us to a holy place, a place where we live and walk with him in our lives. Prayer God of Light, Shine your light and truth in our lives today. Help us to follow your truth to a holy place where we can dwell with you. Amen You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; May the Lord be the light on your path this day. Follow him and you will find joy. The way may not always be easy, there will be obstacles. Journey on toward God and he will be your light.
Prayer God of Light Show me the path that you have for me to follow. Give me the courage to follow it. Amen I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Today is Sunday, a day of worship, and for me this means a day to sing wonderful hymns. One hymn has come to mean something special to me because of all the references to light. As a photographer, when I capture an image, I am actually capturing light on a sensor. So my words today are this beautiful hymn by Walter Chalmers Smith written in 1867. If you are familiar with this hymn read it again slowly and look for all the references to light.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes, most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love. To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small, in all life Thou livest, the true life of all; we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, and wither and perish, but naught changeth Thee. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight; all praise we would render, O help us to see 'tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee! Prayer Immortal Invisible God, We praise you for light, splendid beautiful light. Open our eyes to see your glory in a new way today. Amen The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Since there were no leaves on the trees that that winter day, the sun shone brightly through the branches onto the trail as my friend and I started back down the mountain to the car. Just like that beautiful winter day on the trail, the Lord shines his light into our lives. In this Psalm the listeners are instructed to bring the sacrifice to the Lord in a celebratory way for this light he shone on them. Take time this day to bask in the light of God’s love and use that light to make your way to the altar of your heart.
Prayer Lord God, We celebrate the light that you shine on us to show us the way. Show us what we need to put on the altar of our hearts. Amen Again 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.” Light is essential to our lives. Without light there is no color, no beauty. The sunrise shatters the darkness of the night. Jesus, like the sunrise, dispels the darkness in out lives. When we walk with him we see color and beauty. We see the path that he has laid out for us. It may be we don't always see the whole path in the distance, but if we are trusting his light, we need only see one step ahead. What an amazing promise!
Prayer (From the hymn, Lead Kindly Light, by John Henry Newman.) Father of Light Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom; Lead thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home; Lead thou me on! Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene--one step enough for me. Amen If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, I love mornings in the campground. Usually I get up earlier than most campers and I sit and watch the sun gradually rise above the trees in quietness. The darkness of night moves into the brightness of day, most of the time. Sometimes there are cloudy days, the sun still rises, we just can’t see it for the clouds.
There are days of bright sunshine in our lives but also days that are filled with clouds. During those cloudy days it is easy to focus on our own problems and let a feeling of gloom fall over us.I have found in times of gloominess that when I find ways to help others I began to quite focusing on my own problems and I move from darkness into the light of day. Prayer Loving Father, On those days when we get lost only looking at our own problems, remind us of this promise of light that comes when we make the effort to help those in need around us. Amen For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. When people lived in the cabins that are now in the park, the only light they had was through windows and doors or oil lamps. In the early morning the light would flood through the cabin windows and dispel the darkness of night.
While all we have to do nowadays to have light in our houses is to flip a switch, we can still have spiritual darkness in our lives. We need to open the doors and windows of our souls and let God’s light shine in our darkness. Prayer Father of Light Fill the rooms of our souls with light and dispel our darkness. Amen For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, The path around the lake was covered with leaves, which can make it hard to see the roots and rocks, but the sun shone through the leaves and lit up the path. It was the light of the sun that made the colors of the leaves, sky, and lake so beautiful that day. When we look to God to be the light of our life, then we walk without stumbling, even on paths that are covered with leaves and filled with danger. We also see more of his beauty on the path ahead.
Prayer God of Light, Fill our lives with your light today. Help us to reflect the light of your love so those we meet along the way may walk toward your light. Amen This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we 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 his Son cleanses us from all sin. When I opened the front door to the Caldwell house the back door swung open and light flooded the dark hallway. With the light through the doorway I could see the beautiful woodwork that makes this house so different from the other homesteads in the park. And just like this open door dispels the darkness and reveals the beauty in the Caldwell house, Jesus dispels the darkness of the sin in our lives. He bids us walk in the light with him and when we do we find forgiveness. With the light of God we are able to see the beauty all around us.
Prayer Father of Light, Open the door to our hearts and let your light flood our lives. Forgive our sins and dispel the darkness. Shine your light in our world so we can see your beauty. Amen So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus spoke these words he had just been met by a crowd shouting praise as he entered Jerusalem, but his soul was troubled. The crowd just didn’t understand the kind of Messiah he was, even after a voice called from heaven. Their vision was limited to a Messiah that would free them from the darkness of Roman occupation, but Jesus was coming to provide freedom from a much greater darkness, the darkness of sin.
As we sit in the darkness of our sin, we must let the light of Jesus shine into our darkness as the light from this window spills onto this pew in the Smokemont Baptist Church. We no longer have to sit in darkness. Ask Jesus to shine through the open window of your heart and into the darkest part of your life. This won’t be easy for there are some things we want to keep hidden. But only after we expose our hearts to the light can we begin to let the light of God’s love forgive our sin and break into our life. Prayer Dear Jesus, Messiah of Light, Shine your light into our hearts. Teach us to trust your loving light and follow you out of our darkness to walk as children of light. Amen May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. I haven’t always started my day with a time with the Lord and honestly there have been many days in my life when I didn’t have any time at all with the Lord. I have learned that the more days that I set aside a time centered on reading God’s word, praying, and listening to beautiful music the more joy I find in my day. The most beautiful time of the day is the early morning, especially if you have beautiful weather. When I think about the joy of an early morning time spent with God, I remember this early morning walk along the lake one morning when the light was truly golden. Take time to remember some times of golden light in your life and thank God for those times. Prayer O Great King of Light, Make our meditations focused on you. Help us to clear away distractions and think only of you. Give us joy in your word and make the time we spend with you change the way we spend our day. Amen Scripture:
The commands to fear the Lord are right and endure forever. The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just. They are of greater value than gold, than even a great amount of pure gold; they bring greater delight than honey, than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10 About This Image: When the sun is low in the sky right after sunrise and right before sunset, the land is bathed in beautiful golden light. During this time of day ordinary things become beautiful. There isn't really a trail on the side of the lake at Fall Creek Falls where I took this image. About the only people who ever go down this way are fisherman. But when I saw this view during the the golden hour the beauty of this place was amazing. God's words are like the golden light at this time of day. They are more valuable and beautiful than gold. When you study them and make them a part of your life they will bring you great delight. Scripture:
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Psalm 36: 9 About This Image: I had just started to learn photography when I took this image of Spruce Flat Falls in the Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Looking at the picture now I can tell you so many things I would change about how I captured the light in the waterfall. Just like I have learned to see the properties of light as I have studied photography, we can learn to see God's light by studying his word. As we walk in God's light he will become the fountain and sustainer of our life. |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan