Ephesians 5: 8 – 14
I love learning new things, especially things that are new to me spiritually.
Today in ODB, I read about this man named; Samuel Rutherford.
Rutherford, a member of the council that wrote the Westminster Confession, was imprisoned because of his beliefs. While in prison, he wrote this soul-strengthening letter expressing the joy that sustained him through his trials: “If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in all my limbs, and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose. And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know if I would have the strength to find joy and happiness in a situation like this, at least not at first. One of the many character defects that I am working on, since coming to the Lord, is that I can be very self centered and have used the phrase in the past; “If it happens to you, it’s a peccadillo, if it happens to me, it’s devastating.”
I have grown considerably since I used that phrase, and I am prayerful that I would be able to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of prison.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
The word of God is why I am so hopeful and prayerful that I would be able to bring this light where ever I would go.
God was able to change my life. All I knew was darkness, it followed me everywhere. I clung to the shadows of life hoping to go unnoticed by others until I needed them, so that I could exploit them for my needs, and to feed my addictions.
Oh, how my life has changed! Oh, my soul, how I love The Lord!
Psalm 40:
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
How blessed and happy am I. How about you? Can we all bring light to darkness?
I love learning new things, especially things that are new to me spiritually.
Today in ODB, I read about this man named; Samuel Rutherford.
Rutherford, a member of the council that wrote the Westminster Confession, was imprisoned because of his beliefs. While in prison, he wrote this soul-strengthening letter expressing the joy that sustained him through his trials: “If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in all my limbs, and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose. And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know if I would have the strength to find joy and happiness in a situation like this, at least not at first. One of the many character defects that I am working on, since coming to the Lord, is that I can be very self centered and have used the phrase in the past; “If it happens to you, it’s a peccadillo, if it happens to me, it’s devastating.”
I have grown considerably since I used that phrase, and I am prayerful that I would be able to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of prison.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
The word of God is why I am so hopeful and prayerful that I would be able to bring this light where ever I would go.
God was able to change my life. All I knew was darkness, it followed me everywhere. I clung to the shadows of life hoping to go unnoticed by others until I needed them, so that I could exploit them for my needs, and to feed my addictions.
Oh, how my life has changed! Oh, my soul, how I love The Lord!
Psalm 40:
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
How blessed and happy am I. How about you? Can we all bring light to darkness?
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