Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

THE LIGHT Light is one of Christ's most important and graphic metaphors. Jesus said of Himself: I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12). When we think of light, we imagine the electric light snapped on, quickly filling the whole room with brightness. Jesus, however, was not speaking of the electric light but of the sunrise. Before the sun appears, its influence is felt. Slowly, almost mystically, a subtle change begins to take place in the world. The darkness loosens its grip on the earth and begins to dissolve into day. As the sun rises higher in the sky, the world of fear and unknown is filled with the sight of beautiful trees, running brooks, and towering mountains. The despair of the night is overwhelmed by the dawning of light. Peter talks of the "day star" (Jesus) arising in our hearts (2 Peter 1:19). Malachi notes: But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). When Jesus comes into our lives and our families, the light of His Presence begins to make a subtle difference. The night of selfishness gives way to the day of selflessness. Cold relationships thaw and warm into meaningful communion. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).