Gram and I were talking about a verse in the book of James, which talks about the Father of Lights. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”. James 1:17
Gram likes this verse because it portrays the Heavenly Father as the Father of lights – He gives off light and yet, there is no shadow. Noontime is the only time of day when there is no shadow because the sun is directly above us. The Father of lights has no variableness – no wavering or movement - He is directly above us, brighter than the sun at noontime, not far ahead or way behind, and he casts no shadow of turning. Our Father, the giver of good and perfect gifts is illuminating, steady, gracious and dependable. God is light, and there is no darkness in Him.
Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Eph 5:8 also says, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: Walk as children of light.” God is light and we who are His children are to walk as children of light.
I, personally, don’t like being in the dark. I never have. It’s not that I am afraid of the dark – just the things I can’t see in the dark! I find it so comforting that God is light, and we can walk in the light, as children of light. Jesus is the light of the world. I do know that I do not ever need to fear darkness because God’s light is so much more powerful than darkness. If even a candle is lit in a dark room, it illuminates the room. If we are in a brightly lit room, and a shadow is cast, or there is an effort to darken the room somehow, all light would need to be removed from that room in order for the darkness to be effective. Light is pure and brightens all it shines on. Darkness has to depend on the absence of light to make any difference at all. What a comforting thought – that we are children of light, and a ‘little bit’ of shining brings about a lot of illumination! Why would we ever fear letting our little light shine? It is a good reminder that God, through us, can make an enormous difference in the people and situations surrounding us, if we will only “Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”!
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not: As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed Thy hand hath provided – Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
While I was reading today’s post I was reminded of Revelation 21:23
ReplyDelete"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
How awesome will that day be when we are bathed in His Glory for all eternity!