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Have you ever gone hiking, and it’s starting to get late, and you can barely see the path through the trees around you? You just hope the light holds out long enough for you to get back to your vehicle. Or have you ever stumbled around the house at night with the lights off, hoping you don’t bump into anything or step on any toys the kids left out?
John 11:9-10: 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
Just as light (and eyes that work) is important for us to see where we are going in our daily lives, light is important for us to see where we are going in our spiritual lives. God uses his light to illuminate the path that he wants us to take.
God Is My Light
In the previous weeks of this study, we’ve seen that God’s light shines for his purposes. It shows his glory. It shows his power over his enemies. It shows his power over creation.
But God’s light also has another purpose. God uses his light for our benefit and our salvation.
Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 84:11: For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
With God as our light, we have no reason to be afraid. Our salvation is secure. His light bestows favor and honor on those who follow him. Even in the midst of our sin, God will rescue us and bring us into his light.
Micah 7:8-9: 8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,
until he pleads my case
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
As we spend time in God’s word, he will give us understanding so that we know how to live.
Psalm 119:130: The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
God Uses His Light to Guide Us
Although we often think of God’s light figuratively illuminating our path and our understanding, God used light in a real and visible way to guide the Israelites.
Exodus 13:20-22: 20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
We may not have a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide us, but God uses his light to guide us all the same.
Psalm 43:3: Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Proverbs 6:23: For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,
Isaiah 60:1-3: “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
What does God’s light guide us to? It guides us to Christ. It guides us to worship. It guides us to the correct way to live.
God’s Light Shows Us Where to Walk
Along with God’s light guiding us, the Bible has a lot of imagery about God’s light showing us where and how to walk with God. God’s light illuminates our path.
Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
Isaiah 2:5: Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Psalm 89:15: Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
With God’s light from his word, we can walk in God’s presence. We can walk out of sin and into peace.
Luke 1:76-79: 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
1 John 1:5-7: 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 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, purifies us from all sin.
If we want to walk with God, we have to leave the darkness behind. We have to leave our sin behind, purified by Christ’s blood, and step into the light. His light will guide us on the path he wants us to take.
God Gives Light to Our Eyes
Having light doesn’t do much good if our eyes are blind. God knows that we need to have our eyes and heart opened so that we can see. Therefore, God doesn’t just give light to the path. He also gives light to our eyes.
Luke 11:33-36: 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
How do we get this light in our body? Through following God’s commands.
Psalm 19:8: The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
God’s word, his commands, give light to our eyes and light to our path. He provides all the light we need to walk in his ways.
Conclusion
Give yourself a little self-analysis. Are your eyes opened to see the light that God provides? Are there places in your life where you are still walking in the dark? Where in your life are you seeing God’s light shine, and where do you need to step into the light a little further? Spend some time in God’s word this week and ask him to give light to your eyes and light to your path so that you can walk in step with him.
Premium Resources
Each individual characteristic of God study will come with two resources: a word search just for fun (including an answer key), and a list of verses for if you want to investigate that individual characteristic of God more completely.
You can access these resources by clicking here: God Is Light Resources
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