Pain

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. (John 16:19-24, NRSV)

This is a great passage, because it reminds me of a story I heard one day on the radio. The DJs were asking people about pain and how they dealt with it, and they got on the topic of kidney stones and child-birth. And a woman called in and said that the pain of kidney stones to her was worse than child-birth, because at the end of child-birth and all the extreme labor, she got to hold her child. There was a reward!

The kidney stone just passed and the memory of the pain was all that was left. Now one could possibly hold the kidney stone, but it is not the same as the child.

And that is the promise here. That the joy we will experience will be such greater than the pain we have now that it will not matter.

So endure the pain, knowing the joy will far out weigh what you are facing now!

Light vs Darkness

And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (John 3:19-21, NRSV)

The thing I love about light is, even the smallest amount will disperse the darkness.

It is said that the human eye can see a flame from a candle from 300 yards away. I heard this, have not researched it, but think about that. If that is true, the smallest amount of light will dispel the darkness.

And I know that to be true with Jesus.

He dispels my darkness and makes it so the evil can have nothing to do with me. He enters my life and shows all the things that can keep me from Him. I can try to hide, but His loving presence illumines the dark and brings to light all I have done and everything is exposed.

That can cause fear. Fear of the others around us discovering our skeletons, but Jesus loves you skeletons and all. And if you let Him, He will illumine your world, so the skeletons dissipate.

Light

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. (John 9:1-7, NRSV)

I love reading the Bible. Because passages I think I know, when I take the time to reread them, hit me in a totally new way. This just shows me that the Bible is living and allows me to see the world through God’s eyes.

Here I read, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus told the disciples as long as I am in the world…

Well we know that Jesus died, and He descended to the dead, and then He rose again, and ascended. So is Jesus still in the world?

Is the light still in the world?

I hope you are saying Yes, because that is the correct answer!

Jesus is still in the world. Beyond the promises He made to always be with us, so wherever we are, He is.

We can see in these verses His light living on. He made a man who was blind from birth able to see, and showed the disciples that sin does not cause abnormalities. We are made they way we are so God’s glory may be shown through all of us.

So go and shine, and let the world see the light of Jesus!

Witness

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. (John 1:6-8, 19-28, NRSV)

John was sent to testify to the Light. He was sent to witness to Christ!

We are also sent to witness to Christ.

We are the light of the earth and the salt to season the world with!

We are to shatter the darkness and bring His love to all.

We are to shine!

But we have to shine like John did, by not shining himself, but getting out-of-the-way and letting Jesus shine through him.

Don’t shine so others see you. Shine so that through your life and actions others see Christ and are drawn to Him!

Path

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up. Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:7-14, NRSV)

Come to my rescue Lord!

When I go astray and wonder down paths that I should not be on, hear me and come to my rescue!

My heart tells me to seek after the Lord, but my flesh leads me to other places.

My desire to get everyone I love the best gift possibly regardless of what it does to my bank account, help me to not seek the admiration of others, but to seek you.

Lead me on your straight path, so my life can be filled with your joy!