The Warm Light
Scripture:
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13
Devotional:
While walking through Lowe’s, my husband and I were walking down the light aisle looking for light bulbs. We walked up to what had to be about 200 (give or take) different types. They come in all different colors, shapes, sizes, LED or not, and it makes you wonder who really even cares about all these details. Well, lucky for me, my husband does.
After standing there sorting for about 5-10 minutes, he chooses a warm colored bulb with this fancy little spiral in the middle of it, quite a pretty-looking bulb if you ask me. As we change to the new bulb and flip the switch, the light comes on and fills the room with a beautiful yellow-orange glow that instantly gives you a warm, cozy feeling. Now, I can imagine you’re thinking to yourself, “Okay, enough about the light bulbs”, but I promise there is a point to it. I keep walking to other rooms in the house and notice the different-colored bulbs throughout. You start to feel a different “vibe” in each area of the house. The “ultra bright” lights let you see every piece of dirt on the ground. Then the yellowish lights give a warm, comfortable feel to them, where the imperfections aren’t as recognizable. How often do we find ourselves going to God and only showing him the warm, comfortable parts of us rather than the bright parts that show all our imperfections?
There is a passage in Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12 and 13 that says, ”For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” This passage has depth that some of us might need a reminder of. Take a moment and think about what your prayer life looks like. Are your words out of convenience? Trying to find the best words to say, only showing the yellow-light warm feeling? Or is it the opposite, and you’re praying looks like the ultra-bright bulb, showing all your imperfections?
What’s important to remember is that Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So we might still be living in the comfortable, warm lighting; He loves us ANYWAYS. When we spend time dwelling with the Lord each day and seeking Him in our prayers and reading the Word, sharing our ultra-bright mistakes becomes a little easier. Not that it will be fully easy; don’t misunderstand me. But when we live life WITH Jesus, it becomes easier to recognize our imperfections and grow from them. Today, I urge you to seek our Father and air out all your dirty laundry to Him. I can guarantee the weight you’re carrying will begin to feel a lot lighter.
Prayer:
Lord, today I seek you and want to grow in intimacy with you. I want you to know every part of me and see the good, bad, and ugly. I pray that your spirit will guide me in releasing anything I’ve been holding onto. I pray that I will put you first in all things and not put anything above you. I pray that I can be a light to others around me and be an example of being vulnerable. Thank you, Jesus, for seeing every part of me and still loving me through it.
In Jesus Name,
Amen