“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” John 12:46
DEVOTION – by John Decarreau:
One of my favorite worship songs begins with the following lyrics:
Light of the world You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me se
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spend with You
(Here I Am To Worship)
Every time I hear this song, I am instantly grabbed by the simplicity and depth of the lyrics. Maybe it is because I recall the darkness that He removed. Maybe it is because I more fully enjoy the beauty of all He created. Maybe it is the excitement of an eternity worshipping Him with songs like this one. Maybe it is ALL of the above.
As we get closer to Easter Sunday, it is a perfect time to remember that Jesus came into our darkness to illuminate our world through His truth…to show us a world the way God originally intended. Living in His light shows us the physical beauty of His creation and the spiritual beauty of His plan for His people. As the verse says, Jesus brought the light to us, it is through faith in Him that He offers eternal life. It is through His work on the cross that we are saved from the darkness.
This worship song continues:
I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you’re my God
It’s hard to imagine the depth of Jesus’s suffering for our sins. As His sacrifice becomes more real to us, it can drive us to a deeper place of worship in response to his unending mercy and grace. He does not want us to remain in the darkness, He wants to draw us to Himself and strengthen us in His light. In 1 Peter 2:9 it says “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” This is a powerful reminder of the way God sees us in His light.
As we get closer to Easter Sunday, we can take some time to praise Him and celebrate the areas of our lives that Jesus has illuminated for us AND pray that He continues shine His light in new areas of our lives that may still be in the shadows. Pray for continued Transformation into the light of his truth.
