Glow in the Dark

And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, [they put] it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.—Matthew 5:14-16, The Voice

On our best days, we head out into the sunrise with a prayer on our lips to be aware of our surroundings and to be a carrier of that Light that's mysteriously within—that "Christ in you, the hope of glory" kind of Light—that illumines dark places, moods, situations, and Facebook political rants. Other times, despite our best intentions, we get sucked into the routine of the day, and climb into bed at night wondering if we just wasted 24 hours of Light-shining. The adversary whispers things like, “You don’t have what it takes, you’re too preoccupied with you, forget about the whole Light-shining thing and move on.” Another voice suggests, “Maybe you need a different/better mission field—one where you don’t have to be focused on doing daily tasks and assignments so you can focus instead on cool stuff like ministry.”

On such days, it’s good to remember that it doesn’t take the world’s best sermon to be a Light. Sometimes, the best ones are those that begin by sticking around and simply listening to someone’s story rather than moving on to the next thing on your list. It’s also good to know that, in addition to His Word and through other people, God has a funny way of communicating and relating to us through the things we love—like music and creation…

On a night drive last week, one in which the last few miles had been spent listening to those ping-ponging negative whispers and suggestions as though observing the chaos of a presidential debate, there was also a contrary, uplifting, toe-tapping thing going on in my radio. I had a sense it was God speaking through Jason Gray:

“Hey, tune that other stuff out and listen to Me instead!”

As I pulled into the driveway and opened the garage door, I did the usual glance to the heavens to admire the stars and wonder of the New England night sky. And the moment I looked up, a shooting star zoomed right over my head toward the southwest. Glorious! And what are the odds? But even more amazing than that was when I “just so happened” to remember what that Jason Gray song was saying in the background of the loud, negative debate:

“Like a flame, like a burning star, you can shine right where you are — He made you to glow in the dark.”

To all fellow Light-carriers: Selah.

Love So Beyond Hallmark Amazing

“If I were to try to talk about the greatness of God’s love, I would only run in circles. Because I can’t speak of that which cannot be spoken of. But to break it down a little, this love of God is an attribute of God—it never began to be and can never end; it can never change, and there is no boundary to it.”—AW Tozer

No matter where you fall on the Hallmark love quotient today—a 1 or a 10, or off the charts at one end or the other—it’s a very cool thing that Valentine’s Day this year falls on a Sunday.

It’s a good time, even if in the midst of pain of losses recent or distant, to celebrate the fact that relationships (yes, even with “man’s best friend”) matter deeply to God, because He is the One who invented the line: “it’s not good for man to be alone.” For every one that breaks, dies, or moves away, we can be grateful that He always brings at least one someone into our life who becomes more than just a "hi, how are you?" relationship.  God also knows that pursuing this Walk was meant to be shared with (some or all of the following) spouses, family members, and good friends who are like-minded and have an endless supply of encouraging words.  In fact, not just a nice idea, but essential for successful completion.

It’s also a good time to remember that the greatest Valentine ever written was this one:

“When we were utterly helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him. Even if we were good, we really wouldn’t expect anyone to die for us, though, of course, that might be barely possible. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty? Now he will save us from all of God’s wrath to come. And since, when we were his enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of his Son, what blessings he must have for us now that we are his friends and he is living within us! Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins—making us friends of God.” — Romans 5:5-11, Living

The gift of God’s amazing love and amazing grace to us is no small thing—which, of course, we know but can become numb to at times from the daily onslaught of life’s stresses and strains. And if so, then today is a great reminder that this amazing love and grace, as one translation puts it, is a “much more” kind of love, one that “overflows” continually 24/7, and is an “abundant provision” that results in fullness of life—a life that “reigns” in freedom and forgiveness and peace. And “much more” than that, even.

So incomparable is this kind of love that, unlike all other imperfect variations, God doesn’t unwrap His arms around me even when He knows me much better than I know myself (or would care to admit).

Which is why today is a good day to enjoy those little hard candies that say “Be Mine,” and know that it's unshakably true. Better still, a good day to remember that being a friend of God means you don’t ever have to believe in wishful thinking in declaring:

“I am my Beloved’s and His desire is for me.”

"This is amazing grace! This is unfailing Love! That You would take my place, that You would bear my cross. You lay down Your life that I would be set free. Oh,Jesus, I sing for all that You’ve done for me.” — Phil Wickham

Living Large in the Routine

“When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.”—Luke 2:39-40

We may not know much about Jesus’ first 12 silent years after Mary and Joseph brought him home, but there is this takeaway: We don’t need non-stop church activity or a big event for God to “do something” in and through our lives. God didn’t suddenly drop out of the picture during Jesus’ seemingly ho-hum formative years while he was in the workshop with his dad or hanging out in the yard with his brothers, and He is just as powerfully active and at work beneath the surface of our own little 24/7 ho-hum.

Sometimes, we feel pressured to do something to “help God out” and speed things along—anything but wait. Except waiting on God has little to do with being passive and everything about cultivating a relationship of holy friendship, of every-situation conversation, of trust, of believing even in the face of everything that wants logic and clear-cut answers...and especially of being faithful in the routine rhythms of life.

And through it all, just maybe, the “do something” He is ultimately after is simply a heart that chooses to beat, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will, O God.”
 

"We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing,that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace, we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life." (Oswald Chambers)

[ADAPTED FROM ORIGINAL, 12-29-13]