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Posts Tagged ‘light and dark’

Day Ninety-Two, The Measure of My Maturity

Posted in Under-the-Influence, Devo Shorts 2011, tagged , , , , on February 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

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“But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.” Amp Eph 5:13

“Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!” Amp Ps 103:22

Where the Lord’s dominion is, there is light and there is the reign of light. But where things have not been exposed to me and reproved by the light, that area persists and is ruled by darkness.

This is especially true in the hearts and minds of believers. Yes, darkness can have a welcome place in you… because you allow it.

This is the measure of maturity of me as a believer. How much of me is walking in light?  Am I in the light as He is in the light?

Interesting thing: pertaining to light and its rule in me…the more I filter God’s light through my reasoning and intellect…the less light I have. The more I respond to His light with submission and obedience… the more light I have.

Here’s an example. Say the Lord shows you by the light of His Word and conviction of the Holy Spirit that some attitude of yours or behavior is wrong. You then take that revelation knowledge and examine it, process it according to your own thinking and standards, and then take action to obey.  As you have parsed and diluted the force of this word based on your thinking and reasoning, you have chosen to modify the thrust of the word of God – and thus you have much less light than you could have.

You have elevated, through pride, your own thinking and power of reasoning, and made it more prominent than obedience to God.

So how would this have looked if say Abraham had reacted this way in reference to the command of God: “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, and offer him as a burnt offering…” (Gen 22:2)

Abraham went the very next day to do as God said. If he had “reasoned” with himself, he might have delayed and delayed, figuring and reasoning, projecting and waiting until he thought he knew what God was really doing. But  thankfully he didn’t.

The point is: He trusted God more than his own understanding of things. He believed God!

It is vital for us to come to maturity with the light of God leading us as well as exposing and reproving us – especially as it concerns our thoughts about the word, God’s expectations of us, and even our perceptions about ourselves.  It is not good for a believer to  exercise self-perception, or self-analysis.

Psalm 36:9 explains: “For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.”  Thus it is God’s light that is sufficient to lead us into all understanding and truth. Not own own light.

When Paul advocates for us to examine and test and evaluate as he does in 2Cor 13:5 – it is done on the basis of us first seeking such light from God. Otherwise we would be like the physician trying to heal himself—not a good thing as he lacks full perspective and full understanding.

The days of us walking at a glacial pace into the maturity and holiness God desires and has provisioned for are at an end…. He now tells us, “… Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine ( make day dawn) upon you and give you light.” Amp Eph 5:14

Awake! Choose to suspend further self-analysis, investigation, rational examination, and consuming self-sifting to try and arrive at a comfortable assessment concerning your spiritual maturity… your “Okayness” with God… or that you are acceptable to Him.

Instead, asking for His light… let Him confirm that you are loving in deed and truth.  Let His Truth reassure, quiet, and pacify your heart in His presence. (1Jn 3:18-20) Nothing is hidden from Him, but many things are still hidden from you!

And receive from Him all that is needful, because you are watchfully obeying His orders, observing His suggestions, following His plan for you, and practicing what is pleasing to Him…(1Jn 3:22-24)

Shalom

 

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Day Thirty-Five, Under-The-Influence

Posted in Under-the-Influence, Devo Shorts 2011, tagged , , , , on February 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

Day Thirty-Five

 

Before He will “Dwell” With Us-

The Agreement

 

“What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols?…”

2Cor 6:16

 

                Both the Old Testament (Lev 26) and the New Testament (2Cor 6) form Scriptural bookends which speak of the Lord desiring to dwell in and with us and among us.  In both locations things are detailed that must be done before God’s “dwelling” can happen.  There are changes required in us!  Whether under the law (as in the Leviticus account) or under grace (as in 2Corinthians) – there are vital things that must change in you and I.  In both of these places (again even though one is under the law and the other grace), the requirement for us can be summed up as “agreement.”  It is our continuous movement into greater and deeper agreement with God which brings us into the reality of becoming the temple of God.

          The agreement required from the Old Testament Leviticus Chapter 26 was – agreement with God’s posture on the statutes and commandments.  If the Hebrews would agree to walk in obedience to them, they would gain the rain in due season, full seasonal times, peace in the land, and overwhelming victory over the enemy. They would also gain God’s dwelling – but the best that could be had was His dwelling among them externally.

          The agreement required for the New Testament (in 2nd Corinthians) was agreement internally (within our very souls) with the grace of God and to not receive it in vain.  We were to receive His grace – His Life (to wit His merciful kindness and influence on our souls – keeping and strengthening them), which is essentially agreeing with and becoming one with His soul (His will, intellect, and emotions) about things. 

          Both of these instances require change within us.  But while the Old Testament promised His dwelling among the Hebrews as a result of external obedience, the New Testament promises His dwelling among us as a result of our internal obedience.  Now the obedience required is an alignment with Him from our outlook and ways of perceiving, and our heart to His outlook, His perception, His heart –because of His life now abiding within us and affecting this change.  Certainly the requirement for change is more stringent in the Corinthian’s passage, but the provision for that change is more than extraordinarily equipped to make it possible!  Jesus Christ’s own nature has come to reside within us as we have received Him as Lord!

           With both passages promising God’s dwelling among us why even annotate the difference?  Because between the two there has occurred a major shift!  In the Old Testament – everything was external – and so was the temple location external.  Now, because of the Cross of Christ, we are empowered to have God’s dwelling within us individually – the temple of God within us!  His code which was once external to us is now written on our hearts and we can become one with it (obeying it) as never before.  His dwelling is now within us – as Emmanuel – “God with us.” Hallelujah!

                    The dwelling of God is with His people.  But His dwelling is not apprehended without cost.  Yes – the cost of His life in us, and His redemption, and the Cross – these were paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ.  But there is a cost for you and me to receive it.  We have to give up something – to be able change.  Even the Hebrews had to give up their way – for the Lord’s way.  They had to agree to follow His code of living. 

Today –what we give up in retrospect seems hardly worth recounting.  We give up our broken lives for His whole life.  We give up pain and wounding for His wholeness.  We give up disease and infirmity for His healing.  We give up small dreams – for the enormity of His dreams and His provision to bring them into being. We give up our meagerness for His abundance.  We give up the sin of our old-man, for the grace of God to move in, to renovate and to secure His dwelling within us.  We give up isolation, loneliness, and insecurity for inclusion, fellowship, and love! We give up a life of uncertain struggle – for a life of certain peace

Indeed – what agreement can there be between a temple of God and idols?  None!  As light and darkness are different — these have nothing in common – but now the uncommon, the out-raying radiance, the sole expression of the glory of God,  the perfect imprint and very image of God – the One Who upholds and maintains, and guides and propels the very universe  — has sought us and abides within us as light eternal, and in the splendor of His light and the beauty of His presence we can only rejoice!

Be-inhabited, be-loved!  

 

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