Enlightenment
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:12-17
One thing I think all humans agree on is that this world can get pretty dark. Some of us feel it more strongly than others. But generally speaking, I reckon even the optimists among us wince at the news of Palestine, Ukraine, Central America, North Korea, China and even sometimes the U.S. or Australia.
Then, dig a little deeper and it gets even more alarming. Gender dysphoria has skyrocketed, anxiety among young people, generosity statistics and more. Suicide rates (particularly in males) continues to rise. It’s definitely a bit gloomy.
But where will the light come from? A few hundred years ago the answer was clear. Science and rational philosophy. But it hasn’t fixed anything. Oh it’s brought some light in medical discovery and in our understanding of the natural world. But it’s also brought much of this darkness upon us (social media anyone) and the potential for much greater (nuclear war).
So where will the light come from? Well, aliens I guess. No. I don’t think. Because the only way to fix the darkness in our world is to sort out the darkness in our hearts. What’s the problem Mr. Chesterton? That’s right. I am.
So who can fix me? Who can banish the darkness and bring light to my heart? And therefore light into our world? Well, I think you know.
For Today:
Pray:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:12-17
One thing I think all humans agree on is that this world can get pretty dark. Some of us feel it more strongly than others. But generally speaking, I reckon even the optimists among us wince at the news of Palestine, Ukraine, Central America, North Korea, China and even sometimes the U.S. or Australia.
Then, dig a little deeper and it gets even more alarming. Gender dysphoria has skyrocketed, anxiety among young people, generosity statistics and more. Suicide rates (particularly in males) continues to rise. It’s definitely a bit gloomy.
But where will the light come from? A few hundred years ago the answer was clear. Science and rational philosophy. But it hasn’t fixed anything. Oh it’s brought some light in medical discovery and in our understanding of the natural world. But it’s also brought much of this darkness upon us (social media anyone) and the potential for much greater (nuclear war).
So where will the light come from? Well, aliens I guess. No. I don’t think. Because the only way to fix the darkness in our world is to sort out the darkness in our hearts. What’s the problem Mr. Chesterton? That’s right. I am.
So who can fix me? Who can banish the darkness and bring light to my heart? And therefore light into our world? Well, I think you know.
For Today:
- Does the world feel a bit dark to you? Why?
- How has Jesus changed you and your heart?
- What is one thing you should pray for in our world today?
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He is the light.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ who is the light of the world and gives light to His people.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others shine the light of Christ in our world.
Posted in Matthew
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