"Men and Women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever." - Daniel 12:3 MSG
The prophet Daniel, like most bible prophets, was speaking of his time and also of a time to come. I like this portion of scripture because its descriptiveness helps me paint a picture I can see. I think we can all read this and in our mind see a vast dark sky covered with illuminate stars all around. That picture right there describes people who love God, love His Word, and serve this world.
Whether you know it or not, we are living in some dark days. It's almost like the world is wanting to go darker and push the boundaries of what God calls acceptable. Little compromises that have happened in our culture a few years ago have led to gross darkness acceptable to the younger generations. Make no mistake, these lies shape the direction of countries and, sadly, even some churches. It can seem like the night is winning, but it's not. Let me encourage your heart on this fact - the darker the night gets, the brighter our Light shines!
"But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness." - 1 Thessalonians 5:4,5
Even though it can seem dark in the world, I am living, walking, breathing & moving with the light of Christ! Jesus said "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). With this truth, I know that everywhere I go I lighten up a room. It's not my personality that really lights up, it's God's presence within me. And let me add this - God's presence is attractive. God's light was never meant to merely entertain you but to help others see clearly in the dark.
The very last description that Jesus gave of himself in scripture was that of being the bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16). In the original language, this phrase could be read as the brilliant, glowing morning sun. Jesus was referring to himself as the rising morning sun coming after a dark filled night. What a perfect example of what Jesus's 2nd coming will be like! I never saw it like this until recently. And it makes sense because the age in which we live in right now is full darkness except for the light of the believer (Romans 13:11-14) . We have to shine our lights in this age to point people to the burning One! This is why I love the description of Christ being a morning sun and his followers being like stars. It causes you to lift your head up towards the heavens and shift your focus onto things not of this world.
My prayer for you today is that first, you would receive the Light of the world into your heart. His name is Jesus and He is the only true light. He said of Himself "I am the light of the world: he that follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). If you don't know him, ask Him to come into your heart and clean it. Ask Him to be Lord of your life and call the shots from now on. I also pray that you would use this Light to help others see in this dark time. This light was never meant to merely entertain you but to help others see clearly in the dark.
Stay Blessed & Shine Brilliantly today!
