Erika Mathews's Blog, page 13
March 27, 2018
How to Receive Unmatched Wisdom
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
When we have an intimate relationship with God, we begin to understand not only the very heart of God Himself but also many “deep and secret things” that He delights to reveal to His close friends. He is thrilled to give us wisdom abundantly as we ask Him – Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God who is made to us wisdom.
There are some things we simply can’t know through human wisdom. The king’s dream in the book of Daniel is one example; speaking in earthly terms, no one can know another’s dream without being told. Because of Daniel’s close relationship with God, he sought God in faith for the secret and God revealed it to him.
If we are seeking God with all our heart, we can’t help but begin to receive increased wisdom – for “light dwelleth with him.” As we dwell with Him, we dwell in light that illumines the secret things.
Notice also Daniel’s response in these verses: praise and thanksgiving. Not only did he receive the wisdom of God, he received it with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a natural response of one who is living in the light.
Today, let your life overflow with praise to our God!
March 26, 2018
Light: Surety of Covenant
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
God places such importance on life-giving light that He sets it as the surety of His New Covenant!
Notice first the promises of the New Covenant:
He puts His law in our hearts.
He writes it in our inward parts.
He positions Himself as our God.
He makes us His people.
He causes us to all know Him.
He forgives our iniquity.
He causes our sin to be remembered no more.
Then God sets the surety of this covenant:
First, “The LORD of hosts is His name” – He is Surety.
The sun for a light by day
The moon and stars for a light by night (which divide the sea)
The immeasurable vastness of the heavens
The unsearchable nature of the earth’s foundations
Ponder how regularly the sun rises and sets each day, how the moon and stars appear to light each night. If those ordinances, set by God at creation, cease from before God, then the covenant is void.
Think about the vastness of the universe – something we certainly can’t measure – and the mystery of the earth’s foundations. If we learn everything there is to know about these, then God will cast away His people.
The covenant itself is unsearchable in its scope and glory. But let’s meditate for a bit on the surety of the covenant. One would hardly think that God would choose to use a created object such as the sun for a comparison of how unshakable His covenant is. But perhaps God places greater importance on light than we can imagine.
The world can be light without the sun – God showed this by creating light on the very first day of the world, while He didn’t create the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day. However, God set the sun, moon, and stars in heaven for a specific purpose: to create distinction between day and night, to be for signs, seasons, days, and years, and to be the givers of light. He created a visible sign and reminder of His very own light and His faithfulness to His people. Each day as we watch the sunrise, see the moon, or gaze at the stars, we are reminded of His covenants and who He is. Now, because He has set these as the signs of His New Covenant, we can be reminded of His new faithfulness in making His law part of us, changing our identity to His, knowing Him, and removing our sins and iniquities.
Perhaps this gives us, too, a new realization of the importance God places on light and the ordinances He established in the heavens. We know that His covenant will not fail – and therefore we can be equally assured that the sun, moon, and stars will continue to give light upon the earth just as has happened from the beginning. The Source of True Heavenly Light will never fail, and equally the source of earthly light will not fail – because the True Light has established it.
What has God revealed to you about His light? Leave a comment!
March 25, 2018
How Changing Your Mind is Receiving Light
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of every word of God!
Even where Jesus chose to live was a fulfillment of God’s word through Isaiah. The beginning of the dawning of the great light came upon God’s people in His time, in His place, and by His methods as Jesus began to bring the words and person of Light to Capernaum:
Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
This is the light and the good news! At first glance, it might not sound so appealing. Repent? Doesn’t that mean I’m wrong? Why would that be good news?
It’s good news for several reasons. First, whether you knew it or not (whether you choose to accept and believe it or not), you are wrong. In our flesh dwells no good thing. The entire fleshly mindset is contrary to the fundamental structure of how God set up the world to work. In a sense, we can’t even help being wrong – not in ourselves.
But here’s where the good news comes in. Think of the life you live for yourself in your own fleshly way. Is it satisfying? Do you truly think you’re good enough? Is there no lack in that self-focused life? Is there nothing within you that yearns for more?
The answer is, of course, that we can never satisfy ourselves with our own lifestyle. And the good news is that we don’t have to! We aren’t even supposed to! So repent – change your mind, turn around, think a new way, go a new direction. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. God’s kingdom is here – now! Jesus Christ has appeared on earth to live INSIDE US, taking away our fleshly heart and giving us His own whole, pure, living heart. He has taken our selfish mind and given us the mind of Christ.
So receive it – use what has been so generously and wonderfully given to you! Change your mind – don’t get stuck thinking according to worldly patterns; bring every thought into captivity to listening to Christ and His mind. Live in accordance with who you are – a citizen of the kingdom of heaven – and you’ll be amazed at the glorious light that will spring up in every part of your life!
March 24, 2018
God: Our Everlasting Light
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
F.B. Meyer has a beautiful meditation upon these glorious words of God:
“HE IS THEIR EVERLASTING LIGHT”
What a graphic delineation is presented in these words of the privileges of the consecrated life! The Mighty One of Jacob becomes its Savior. Thenceforth it is ever ascending in the scale of experience, exchanging the period of stone for that of iron, of iron for silver, and of brass for gold. Anxiety and depression are followed by long and happy years of fulness and joy. Violence and destruction, which, like vandals, hewed and burned, are replaced by salvation and praise. The Lord becomes the everlasting light, and the days of mourning are ended.
Do not think that such an experience is too good to last, and so beautiful that it must be evanescent. When once the dawn of perfect surrender and acceptance breaks, there is no sundown, no shadowed sky, no more sorrow or crying, no more heartbreak or hopelessness. The inheritance is forever! The branch is ever green! The strong nation is destined never again to become small!
Revelation repeats the same truth:
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. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. (Revelation 21:23-25)
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)
God’s light in our lives isn’t merely for this life – it is eternal. The more intimately we get to know Him, the more brightly He shines into our lives. Imagine an eternity of knowing and loving Him forever, bathing more and more in the glorious beauty of His light! In Christ Jesus, that eternity is ours.
March 23, 2018
The Lord is Risen Upon You!
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
If anything encompasses the beauty and glory of the rising of Jesus Christ, our Sun of Righteousness, it must be this passage. It’s a whisper of hope, a message of transformation from gross darkness to glorious light.
Darkness shall cover the earth and the people. Thick blackness of night takes over.
But.
Everything is contained in that one word.
But the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee!
The glorious beauty of the dawning light breaks forth, and everything changes. What was once darkness is now light. What was once impossible to see is now radiant. Where we once walked in darkness, we swarm to the light – all of us, all at once, some slowly, some quickly. The Gentiles shall come to the light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up your eyes and see how the entire word is swarming to the Light! Verses 4-11 describe the variety of people flocking to the light. Reread the verses slowly, and visualize the descriptions given. Picture the people of all types streaming towards the light – and the joy, victory, and beauty therein.
Truly this is light and happiness, joy and victory!
Therefore let us arise and shine out Christ in us, because our light is come. God through Jesus has entered the world of mankind, changing its course forever. He has died, taking upon Himself all that has caused the world to go wrong for thousands of years. And He is risen – risen forever, and we with Him. We are forever free from sin and darkness!
Are you living in this risen life of Christ? Are you abiding and thrilling in His light that has entered your life? Does your attitude today reflect the truth that Christ is risen and lives as Light in you?
March 22, 2018
Eight Blessings Light Brings
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light – and this light is Jesus Christ Himself! When His Light shines to us, it brings the following blessings along with it:
Joy. In the light of His presence, we know true joy for the first time. “In thy presence is fullness of joy.”
Freedom. The yoke, rod, and staff of the oppressor are broken at the presence of the Almighty God and the light that His rule and reign brings to our lives.
Victory. Our God is a consuming fire, and that fire consumes His enemies.
A new authority. We have a child born to govern – Jesus Christ who is set as ruler of all! We are, for the first time, free to serve God instead of serving the devil and ourselves.
A Counselor. Any time we need wisdom, we can ask directly of God through Jesus Christ – He gives to all people liberally. Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom! Truly light brings wisdom.
Security. He is our Mighty God and Everlasting Father – the light of His presence brings the security of being in the fullness of who He is.
Peace. Have you ever felt fear while in the dark? It’s easier to be overtaken by fear in the dark because we cannot see what’s out there or what’s coming; we have less control. In the light of Jesus Christ, peace reigns in our hearts because He is in control, and His light shows us everything we need to know when we need to know it.
His ordered, established, eternal kingdom. The kingdom of light has come to earth, and we are its citizens! Abide in His kingdom and never know darkness.
“The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Praise God for His light and the blessings that accompany it!
March 21, 2018
Condemning Light
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Here is a function of God’s light that doesn’t sound so pleasant to our natural man: condemnation.
Yet it isn’t the fault of the light that men love the darkness.
If we would only walk in the light and continually abide in the light – then yes, our evil deeds in ourselves would be manifest initially, but after that our deeds would be transformed by Christ in us and the light would be all glorious in our lives, revealing only deeds “wrought in God” within us.
Aren’t we willing to bear the discomfort of the light for a brief season in order to gain the blessing of eternal light and the reputation of Christ within us?
Yet those who do evil do not come to the light. This means that without the work of Christ and its truth living within us, we are not even able to come. No wonder Jesus says that “ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…” When He plants the seeds of His truth and Himself in our lives, the first fruit that they bear is bringing us to the light – and the light reveals the beauty of those heavenly plants growing within us.
Men love darkness. The kingdom of God is light. No wonder living in the kingdom is a struggle for our flesh! We crave the false security of darkness, oblivious to the truth that darkness is deceptive and destructive. Our flesh shrinks from the barest mention of exposure of its filthy deeds; we cannot stand having our true selves exposed to the world.
Yet in light is freedom, beauty, joy, truth. In exposure is humility, and in humility is God’s grace. In His grace is intimacy with Him.
This is part of what it means to come to Christ. God sent His Son to open blind eyes, to draw hearts to Himself, to bear witness to the truth that believing on Him brings life and light. He came to bring light – He is the light of the world. Since men do not come to the light, Light came to them, bringing them to the critical point of belief or non-belief. And each day, we must again choose to believe Christ above the “reality” of what we see around us or what our natural senses are telling us.
Today, are you choosing to believe Christ and every word He says in your situation and experiences?
March 20, 2018
Surprise! A New Book Released Today!
Once upon a socially disadvantaged time, a hare and a tortoise lived in the world of non-human beings…
In celebration of Promise’s Prayer turning one year old this weekend, I’m releasing another book! This one is a short story collection full of whimsy and uniqueness that I had a lot of fun putting together.
Presenting…
Gather ‘Round the Fables
by Erika Mathews
The Fox and the Grapes meets the King James Bible. The Tortoise and the Hare meets political correctness in a divided society. The Lion and the Mouse meets narrative poetry. In this whimsical and humorous collection, three of Aesop’s best-loved fables are retold in a variety of styles. A hare who loves football, a tortoise who researches rare roots for a cure for cancer, a hungry but egotistical fox, and a mighty lion with a soft spot—these and other animal friends scamper, dance, and leap across the pages and into the hearts of the reader, leaving both a chuckle and a timeless life moral with a fresh twist.
Writing the fables in the various styles was enjoyable, and I’m excited to release the joy-filled stories into the world. The Kindle ebook is now available on Amazon, and the paperback should follow shortly.
The words of Aesop of Sardis, which came to him in the six hundred threescore and fourth year…
When the hare and the tortoise met at noon the next day (again, neither remembered the social distinctions between them), the hare was surprised to notice only a few other non-human beings on the sidelines. “Where is everyone?” he asked.
“Are you implying that we are nobody?” Beetle replied. “I shall overlook the societal ignorance of the remark in light of the fact that your background has undoubtedly given you a different, yet still equally valid, worldview.”
Which of the three fables sounds most intriguing? Do you have a favorite fable you’d love to see written in a unique style?
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.
Making Darkness Light
Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
Listen to these beautiful words of God and ponder what they mean for your life:
He brings the blind in a way they do not know.
He leads them in paths they have not known.
He makes darkness light before them.
He makes crooked things straight.
He does not forsake them.
Spiritually, we are born blind. Our flesh cannot see or comprehend the mysteries and the reality of the kingdom of God. Even once we have been born from above into the kingdom of God, it is often quite difficult for us to truly grasp and believe the reality of His kingdom.
But He leads us day by day and step by step deeper into His kingdom. He reveals more of who He is and how the kingdom works. As He opens our eyes to reveal more and more of Himself, truly it is a “way we know not.” Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither can heart comprehend the wondrous mysteries of the kingdom – they are spiritually discerned.
Furthermore, God’s ways aren’t man’s ways. The methods He uses to work in our lives aren’t the ones we would expect. The paths He leads us on may be entirely unfamiliar to our fleshly nature – yet the closer we grow to Him, the more familiar they will become.
This is the process of making darkness light before us. No longer are our paths overshadowed by the blackness of sin and flesh; we are on the path of the just, the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. As we walk by faith, not by sight, we find that each step on the path grows bright as we arrive.
No wonder Jesus exhorted us to “Take no thought for tomorrow; for tomorrow will take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” When we worry about the future, picturing everything that could go wrong, we forget to picture God there with us, lightening each step as we take it. Once we actually arrive at that spot in the future, we will find God’s grace, strength, and light are more than sufficient to carry us through it.
This is true because of the glorious promise in the final sentence of this verse: I “will…not forsake them.” As we walk along the life’s path with its many twists and turns, He is right there beside us every step of the way. He prepares the way before us, and He experiences it with us.
Whatever you may face today, whatever fears or unknowns may lurk in your future – believe and trust Him and His promise. He’s enough for you.
March 19, 2018
A Light For a Purpose
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Isaiah 42:6 gives a beautiful covenant promise of God: He Himself has called us, He holds our hand, He keeps us – but instead of keeping us only for Himself, He selflessly gives us to others for a purpose: for a covenant of the people and a light of the Gentiles.
We see this first culminated in the life of Christ, our Covenant Mediator. Jesus and Father walked together every step of the way during His time on earth. Christ was called by Father, held by Him, kept by Him, and set as a covenant and the light of the world.
And now that the risen life of Jesus Christ lives in us, that covenant lives itself through us each day. In Acts 13:47, Paul and Barnabas quoted Isaiah’s words in reference to themselves: God had set them to be a light to the Gentiles. If these words applied to Paul and Barnabas, certainly they also apply to us today – as we have the very same life of Christ and Holy Spirit living within us that they had.
But there’s more. God has not only given us for a light to the world; there’s a purpose.
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
A light may seem passive, but it is anything but that. Yes, we merely reflect and shine forth Christ in us, but by our constant looking to Jesus and receiving from Him that light that flows through us to others, great works are accomplished. God may have us physically opening blind eyes and bringing prisoners out of prison. Certainly He has His light in us performing these miracles in the spiritual realm.
The greatest blindness is the self-blindness that causes us to look to ourselves as all-sufficient for our needs.
The greatest prison is the prison of our fleshly desires and nature that we are trapped in apart from Christ.
Thus, the greatest deliverance is the salvation from this blindness and this prison as the light of God shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
And the greatest work we can accomplish in the kingdom of God is being channels of that light: fixing our eyes on Jesus and cultivating intimacy with Him that His light may flow through us to reach others, praying in the secret place for the souls of others, speaking His words in His time and His way.
May we ever be humble to receive it from His hand and faithful to continue in it – and may the glory be His alone.
