Let the Light In

 

We were in the path of the total eclipse today. For days, even as late as this morning, the weather forecast was for clouds obscuring the eclipse. God blessed us as the clouds began to break just as the eclipse began and we had clear skies for totality.  It was an awe-inspiring experience! I was surprised that it was still relatively light even when the eclipse was almost total. As soon as totality began, it became dark as night, you could see the planets in the sky, the temperature dropped, and everything got quiet.

 

Viewing the eclipse made me think about our spiritual lives. Any time we let something come between us and God, we begin to block out the light in our lives. It doesn’t have to be a question of sin; it can be anything that takes priority over God and our relationship with Him. It can even be Christian service, if we are doing it on our own and not in accordance with God’s will. Just as in the eclipse, we can block out more and more of God’s light and not even notice it.

 

We should examine our own lives to make sure that nothing is coming between us and God. Even more important, we need to bring this message to the world around us, to people who are only letting a sliver of light through and think that everything is still okay.

 

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). We have a responsibility to “…. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:8-11). We should not only do what is right but stand up against what is wrong and not quietly acquiesce. It doesn’t give us the right to condemn or look down upon others, but we need to be clear about what we believe. We are called to bring the light, and the love, of Christ to whomever we meet, in whatever we do, wherever we go.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.