Follow the Light: Day 1 - His Life Brings Light
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
John 1:4 (NIV)
Light and darkness are reoccurring themes in John’s Gospel. You are either in the light or walking in darkness. Where are you today? Following the Light begins with receiving the Life of Jesus! John tells us in his first chapter that “In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:4 (NIV) In other words, to turn the light on, I must have His life in me! The moment I open my heart to Jesus, He turns the light on, and I can follow His light.
Why is this so essential? For things to grow they need light. Illumination brings inspiration. When I follow the light, I can grow spiritually with clarity, adventure and passion! In fact, light was one of the first things God created. Into an empty and dark world, God spoke and said, “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Genesis 1:3 (NIV) Maybe your life feels like that, empty and dark. You can’t see where you’re going and feel meaningless, without any real purpose. Consider for a moment that God may be wanting to bring a genesis of new beginning in your life. Creation begins and ends with God. “In the beginning GOD created….” Genesis 1:1a (NIV) He is still creating! God is still at work. He is always at work,
and He wants to do a new work in your life. He wants to bring light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair and purpose in your pain. It begins when you turn to Him. When you open your heart to receive the Lord Jesus, He turns on the light in your life! You don’t have to walk about in darkness. When you follow Him, you are following the light because He is the Light of the world!
As we follow the Light, we are cooperating with God’s creative change process in our lives. There are two ways we change: when we see the light or when we feel the heat. One is far less painful than the other. Which way do you prefer?
God has a grow light for us that will accelerate our spiritual growth. Do you know what that is? God’s grow light is His Word. That’s why I’m challenging you to join us in this journey through the Gospel of John. We’ll review a chapter each day. When you expose yourself to the light of God’s Word, His light will illuminate your heart and create Christlike character, changing you from the inside out!
Here’s my prayer for you as we take this journey together. It’s found in God’s grow light in Ephesians 1:16-18 (TLB), “… I pray for you constantly, asking God … to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that He has done for you. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future He has called you to share….”
As you read John 1, ask God to open your heart as you start following Him. If you’ve come to the Light but are not yet part of a local church family, we want to welcome you home at Woodlands Church. We invite you to check out our Membership Class on Sunday, January 22rd, either in person or online at wc.org/membership.
Printed copies of the Follow the Light devotional are available at Follow the Light — Kerry Shook Ministries.