“¹May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, ²that your way may be known on earth, you saving power among all nations. ³Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” – Psalm 67:1-3 (ESV)

When I think of something that shines, I think of something that stands out and cannot help but be noticed. The stadium lights on a fall Friday night in Texas, the dress shoes of a military officer, the engagement ring on your daughters hand. All of these are visible and there is little wonder about where they come from or what they are.

When God shines His face upon me, I have no doubt He is there. The blessings He brings, the glory He show, the love He demonstrates, all are overtly visible when He shines down upon me.

I am blessed to have God in my life to experience all that He has to offer. I am excited to see His smile each day and as such, I am compelled to praise Him. I will smile back at Him as He shines upon me.

As God shines on me, I accept all that He provides and it is my duty to shine as brightly to those around me. I am the conduit that brings that bright shine to others. I desire to provide little wonder about where my light comes from.

As you look at your days and weeks, are you able to notice God shining upon you? Are you appreciative of the blessings brought to you? Will you spread the shine God gives to those around you?

I have often wondered what it means to shine. And then I read God’s Word and what do you know, I am led to answers to my questions once again.

“²⁵the LORD make his face to shine upon you…” – Numbers 6:25 (ESV)

And there it is, “face to shine”. I get it now, to shine is to demonstrate joy. And how do I demonstrate joy on my face but to smile.

I have heard the saying that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown, and where that may not be scientifically true, smiling does evoke a more positive response from others so why not go with it. God demonstrates His love for us my smiling on us with favor and love and I must say, it feels very good to know that God finds favor in me. I know that when my mom smiles at me, I feel so accomplished and as God is my heavenly Father, He provides the same feeling when He smiles on me.

So, how is it that I can shine on others, oh yea, SMILE. I imagine that smiling on others will bring a smile to them. And when I am smiling, I seem to change the feeling inside to the better and when that feeling inside changes for the better, the feeling displayed for others is all the better as well.

The weekend, Lori and I went shopping, just the two of us, and a great time was had as we were acting silly and smiling the entire time. I am not sure what others were thinking about the silly things we were doing, however I can’t help but think that they were smiling watching us chase each other around the store, and have a parade complete with parade waves at the pharmacy, and drifting our cart around corners. I know that the effort expended was certainly worth the fun if for no one other than the two of us.

Shining/smiling on others is the way to go.

When you find yourself in the presence of others, are you conscious of your glow? Are you willing to shine/smile on others? Will you shine on them as an extension of the shining that God does on us?

I have been studying the word “darkness” for the past couple of weeks and have certainly been reminded of my God and the light He is. I should be looking to Him when I find myself in darkness as He will provide the lighted path out.

As I wrap up my study today, I am brought to Revelation.

“¹⁰The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish ¹¹and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.” – Revelation 16:10-11 (ESV)

It seems to me that when one is experiencing something so harsh as being thrown into darkness, there would be a sense of doing what is needed to escape. As noted here in the verses above, there was more of a desire to scream about the wrong and complain about it than to that which had a chance to make things better, repenting.

I notice in the world, and in my own life that complaining is the natural approach when things are not going as desired. I tend to hold on to long to the idea of what is wrong as opposed to doing something about it. And what do I get in return, nothing but more anguish and disappointment and difficulty.

When I take the approach of not being the victim, I have a sense of control and feel as though I am really making a difference. I have the ability to make things better by simply accepting that I have the chance to just move on from the difficulty and look to something that I can control and make better.

When presented with adversity in my life, my mode should be that of looking to God for what it is he wants me to learn in that situation. What is it that I am to take on in the name of spreading the gospel. And when I am able to do that, He will reveal to me more of the plan and rescue me from the darkness that surrounds me. But it all starts with looking to God who is light.

When you find yourself in darkness, what is the attitude you take on? Will you repent of your deeds? Will you continue to hold on to that which got you into the darkness in the first place?

“⁵Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” – Jude 1:5 (ESV)

Jude, speaking to Christians, warns them of falling away from God, by bringing in history where others followed and then fell away. The Israelite people that were delivered looked away from God and began to worship false gods and God punished them with death. I, being a Christian, have to remember and be careful not to fall away myself, as in the world today, I am tempted daily by what is around me.

It is easy to fall into the wrong crowd as there are plenty of them that live among me and will slowly drag me down into the darkness with them.

“⁴For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” – Jude 1:4 (ESV)

They are all around me. It is so easy for me to miss them as they have “crept” into my world and have pretended to be from goodness when in fact they are in a full mode of deception to gain my attention. Once they have that attention they will slowly pervert the interaction in hopes that I will just let it go and begin to take part. Gradually I will be fully a part of their world and lose sight of God and all that He provides for me.

It is easy to fall into the darkness. I have to remember to wrap myself in the love of God and allow Him to guide me every step of the way. He is light and as such, the path He has for me will be bright and clear, when I am spending my time with Him in fellowship and worship. When I am with God, falling into the darkness is impossible.

Are you aware of those that have crept into your life? Have you been slowly falling away from God? Will you fellowship with God daily to avoid the darkness that surrounds you?

“⁹Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” – 1 John 2:9-11 (ESV)

I read these words as written by John and oh how eye opening they are. I have been blinded by “hatred” in the past. I have been so determined that the other person had wronged me that it consumed my moments. I can only imagine what I missed out on as a result of my only focusing on that one person.

Like a person that has wronged me, when I am focused on the thing that is my adversity, I am only able to see that which is that adversity and not able to see anything else. I am so determined to solve the thing, that I miss out on all that is good around me for that one small thing.

I have and will continue to meet with people and things that cause me grief and that is where I have to turn back to the words of John in verse 11. I have to remember not to be blinded by the darkness that comes from the hatred that consumes me from the one or one thing.

There is no room for hatred and love. God is the bigger and greater of all and as He is love therefore love will overcome when we allow Him to do so. We cannot have both hatred and love inside, we can only give our attention to one.

As written in the commentary of my NIV Bible for verses 9-11: “There will always be people we will not like as well as others…Christian love is not a feeling but a choice. We can choose to be concerned with people’s well-being and treat them with respect, whether or not we fell affection toward them.” I do not have to “like” everyone I come in contact with, but love, that is something that all deserve and as a child of God, I am to love all regardless of who they are or the actions they take, even if they are directly against me. When I do, I will experience the love and glory that God intends for me.

When you think about those around you, how many are you displaying or internalizing hatred for? What have you missed out on as a result of that hatred? Are you allowing the darkness that is the hatred consume and blind you?

Confusion is what comes when I read my passage of study this morning. I have been studying the word “darkness” and have been reminded that God is light and He will be with me in the darkness and therefore I should look to Him when in darkness and not allow the darkness to overcome me. But if God is with me in the darkness, how is it that I am not to fellowship with Him there. This is where the confusion set in.

“⁶If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” – 1 John 1:6 (ESV)

When reading this verse, I find difficulty in understanding that God is there in the darkness with me, until I look at more than just this one verse. I am to stay away from darkness, and fellowship that are in the light.

“⁵This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” – 1 John 1:5 (ESV)

God may be in the darkness with me, but only as light in the darkness for me. I have to remember that all of my time here in this world will not be perfectly seasoned for my pleasure. I will have times where the darkness with surround me. It is in those times that I should be looking to God for the light I need in order to escape that darkness and continue in the light with God.

I am not to consciously walk in darkness and look for fellowship with God. He is not there for us to find and fellowship with. If I am walking in the darkness by choice, God will not be there for me to commune with and lean on. I have chosen the sinful way and for that I am on my own.

However, if I find myself suffering adversity for Christ, then God will be there with me and when I call on Him, he will provide the light needed for me to escape. I will have a beacon to guide me through the darkness and back into the light where we will find fellowship.

“⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7 (ESV)

And therefore the confusion I experienced is cleared up. There will be times when we will find ourselves in the darkness suffering for Christ and when we call out to God, He will be there to deliver us from that suffering so that we can once again join Him in the light. We will fellowship with others in the light and being that God is light, we will fellowship with Him also.

When you are in the darkness, was that something you chose or is it a result of your dedication to God’s plan for your life? If as a result of your dedication to God’s plan, did you know that when you call on His name, He will provide the light to guide you out of the darkness into fellowship with Him? If you chose, were you aware that you were not able to fellowship with God there in the darkness?

I am light. I am no longer darkness. Why then is it that I continue to allow myself to be taken back into the darkness? Paul reminds the Ephesians and me that I am to stay away from the darkness by being an imitator of God.

“¹Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV)

As an imitator of God, I have the responsibility to walk in the light. I will be tempted by the darkness to return. I am human and will always encounter the worldly values, whether monetary, social, physical, or emotional. These will be enticing for the short term pleasure, but the glory that comes with being and being of the light are so much more sustaining.

“⁷Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:7-10 (ESV)

I have a duty to be pleasing to the Lord. That duty has to be the importance in my life. I have to stay true to bringing glory to God and as I do, I will continue to experience the fruit of my labor for Him. I choose to stay out of the darkness and lean on Christ for His guidance in doing so.

Are you finding yourself tempted by the darkness around you? Are you able to lean on the light provided by Christ that you have become? Where are you looking that will keep you out of the darkness?

“¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God;” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (ESV)

Notice the contrasts in the verses above. When I only look at them, I should not be engaged with those that are opposite of me. I am to fellowship with those that are like me and avoid others.

But that is not what Paul refers to in these verses. What he is referring to is that we should not be best of friends with those that are outside of our beliefs. I should continue to engage with others, but my engagement should be in the interest of service, love, care, and bringing the gospel to them. Even Jesus Himself interacted and engaged with the tax collectors and Pharisees, however His best friends were the disciples and those of like beliefs.

“¹⁶as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, ¹⁸and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.’” – 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (ESV)

I see in the second half of verse 16 and through verse 18 above that as a member of the temple of the living God, I will be walking with Him each day. I will have the opportunity to fellowship and build my relationship with Him. I am however to commune with others in the temple and as such will have a relationship with others like me and my beliefs.

Just as oil is to water, light is to darkness, good is to evil, I am to be to those that are not like me. I can be in their presence, but until one of us becomes like the other, we are not able to commune fully. I can be friendly with them, but I should not be in continuous fellowship with them. I choose to be of the temple of the living God and fellowship with others that are there with me.

Thinking of the relationships you have around you, are they like you? Are you seeking fellowship and a relationship with those that are outside of your beliefs? Will you choose to be of the temple of the living God and fellowship with others in the light?

“¹²Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12 (ESV)

I was brought to the above verse again this morning for the 3^rd time in my study. First was when studying the word “walk” and then the word “follow” and this time as I study the word “darkness”. Each time I have been able to more deeply understand the verse and how I am to apply it to my life and walk with Christ.

First as I “walk” I am going with Christ through the darkness and not on my own. In October of 2018 I wrote: “But, God will shine through the darkness. In the New International Version (NIV) the 2^nd half of verse 5 above says “but the darkness has not understood it”. So, God confuses the darkness allowing for us to walk right through.”

There I was referring to verse 5 of John 1 to go along with John 8:12.

⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5

I will be walking through the darkness with Christ and not in the darkness alone.

Secondly the verse indicates to me that first I am to go with Christ every step of the way. As I wrote in January of this year: “Following is more that just the physical action of going. We are to learn and apply based on that learning as well. Below is the commentary from my NIV Bible that helped me with my understanding of what it means to follow Christ.

‘As a soldier follows his captain, so we should follow Christ, our commander. As a slave follows his master, so we should follow Christ, our Lord. As we follow the advice of a trusted counselor, so we should follow Jesus’ commands to us in Scripture. As we follow the laws of our nation, so we should follow the laws of the kingdom of heaven.’”

And today, I see that the I have light wherever I go and that light is Christ. I no longer have to be in the darkness, but only temporarily pass through it with Christ as my light to navigate the difficult turns along the way. The darkness is all around me, but does not consume me as I have light coming from me that is provided by Christ who is my savior and deliverer.

When you encounter darkness, what is your attitude toward that state? Are you able to walk with Christ and follow Him through the darkness? Are you able to rely on Christ as your light in that darkness?

I know that God is my light in the darkness and I should look to Him when things are not going as planned and seem to be in a negative state. What I have to remember is that God is in control of the darkness just as He is in control of the light.

“⁹He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰He rode on ta cherub and flew; he cam swiftly on the wings of the wind. ¹¹He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.” – Psalm 18:9-11 (ESV)

As God is the light, I can see in the verses above that He also is in full control of the darkness. When needed, God will use darkness and reside there for me to call on when I need Him.

“²¹The people stood far off, while Moses drew near tot he thick darkness where God was.” – Exodus 20:21 (ESV)

God is where we need Him and controls all. I find myself sometimes in that area of adversity and needing guidance as to where and how to proceed. I need to be looking up and seeking the light that is God. He will be there in the darkness with me, by my side, as a guide through the difficulty.

Too often I am complacent with God’s presence in the light, as I am not “in need” of Him at that moment. And nothing could be further from the truth. I may not “need” His guidance at that time, but I have to remember that with His guidance I will prosper. My path is smoother with the light that God is providing even in the light.

And whereas that light provided by God in the light is great, the light He provides when I seek Him out in the darkness will be even greater. God wants and desires to be there and light my path, and when times are the darkest for me, I must seek Him out all the more, because He is there in the darkness with me as well.

When things are going great, how often are you seeking for the light that is God? Are you looking to Him to bring greater light to your path? What about when things are darkest, are you seeking Him out to allow Him to light the path for you?