Jesus The Light Of Life

Jesus The Light Of Life

The Bible opens with this beautiful account of the creation:

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." ~ (Genesis 1:1-3)

The soul apart from Christ is very much like that place at the dawn of creation when the "earth was without form and void and darkness hovered over the face of the deep."  

For without Christ "the light of the world" we walk in darkness. The bible says that Jesus was  "the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (John 1:9)

The Gospel of John opens much like the book of Genesis:

John 1:1,3-5

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in *darkness; and the darkness *comprehended it not.

Jesus Christ is not only our Creator, He is the Light that moves upon our spirit that brings the Eternal Day into our hearts when we receive Him as our Savior.

When Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, His light shines into the formless darkness of our souls, and His grace turns our chaos into order, our confusion into peace.

When Jesus comes into our hearts, His light not only illuminates our darkness but His word promises that all the forces of darkness shall not be able to overcome His light within us as we abide in Him.

Scripture says that the darkness cannot comprehend Christ's light.

The word comprehend as defined by the Strong's Bible Dictionary can be interpreted in several ways:

The darkness does not eagerly receive Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot possess Christ or those who have His light abiding in their hearts.

The darkness cannot perceive, comprehend, or understand Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot ever overcome Christ, His Church, and all those who are abiding in Christ's light.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, bring the light of Christ to all who are in darkness today. If any are experiencing confusion, fill them with Thy peace for Thy word says that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace..." (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Thy word promises that "...the Lord blesses His people with peace." ~ (Psalm 29:11)

Lord, thank You for Being our Light, our Salvation, and our Peace, in Jesus' name, amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV) 

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

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DEFINITIONS

*comprehended  (Strong's Bible Dictionary )

καταλαμβάνω kat-al-am-ban'-o

Definition: to take eagerly, i.e. seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively)

Usage: :--apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

*Darkness: (Thayer Bible Dictionary)

skotia (transliteration)

Definition: Metaphorically used of ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.

Unto The Least of These "Jesus Light of Life" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotations King James Version Bible, New International Version Bible, New American Standard Version Bible: Definitions: Strong's Bible Dictionary, Thayer Bible Dictionary: Scripture Pictures Created via You Version Bible App

Take Captive Every Thought

But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. 

Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life. 

~Jude 1:20-21 

Prayer is not only one of our greatest spiritual blessings because it is our means of communion with our precious Creator and it unites us as believers, it is also one of our most effective weapons in our arsenal against the enemy of our souls. 

As we use prayer along with studying the Bible which St. Paul calls the sword of the Spirit, we grow strong spiritually and closer to God. We also become a source of Christ's light to those around us. 

The book of Proverbs says that the righteous is a guide to his neighbor. Our lives become a blessing as we follow Christ each day through prayer, bible study and obedience to His word.

The Lord Jesus rebuked Satan in His wilderness temptations with God's word when He said,  “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

St. Paul says we are to pray every kind of prayer and at all times.

 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. 

To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people. ~Ephesians 6:18

St Paul wrote that we must be careful how we think. 

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." ~2 Corinthians 10:4-5 

Often the enemy attacks us in our thought life, discouraging us, filling our minds with accusing or condemning, depressing or hopeless thoughts. But Philippians 4:4,8 exhorts us to rejoice in the Lord always, no matter what our outward circumstances are and to think about good things in ourselves and others!

Philippians 4:4, 8 

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

God is light and God is love. He is looking at all those good things in you and me in that list in Philippians 4:4-8 or He would not have inspired Paul to have us to think about those things.  

God tells us to be like Him in His word. 

St. Paul wrote these scripture verses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit--a man who was often severely beaten for his faith, put in cold, dirty prison cells and left to languish, and persecuted mercilessly. 

I imagine that he might have often been tempted to feel sorry for himself under such conditions but his epistles are the writings of a victorious warrior for Christ! 

I too want to be a victorious warrior for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I pray the declaration prayer in the scripture picture above to take captive every thought that exalts itself against the wisdom and knowledge of God and I ask the Lord to make my will line up with His. 

I pray to be led by His Holy Spirit always for His word declares in Romans 8:14 that all who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 

Amen and amen!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. 

Test all things; hold fast what is good. 

Abstain from every form of evil. 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, teach us to pray without ceasing, thank You, Lord, we love You, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Unto The Least Of These/ "Take Captive Every Thought" Copyright © 2015 All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotation 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ERV) Easy To Read Version Bible © 2006 World Bible Translation Center /NKJV ©1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc/Scripture Picture&Prayer~SD Harden 

May He Restore Your Soul

"The truth told with evil intent is worse than all the lies."~ William Blake

My prayer today is for all God's precious children who have been hurt by those who have misused the truth to harm innocent souls through no fault of their own.

These precious individuals have suffered intensely at the hands of those who were agents of evil masquerading as angels of light.

Jesus called them "wolves in sheep's clothing." He also said, "You shall know them by their fruits."

Because of their unspeakable acts, their victims suffer lifelong emotional and often physical damage.

Luke wrote in His Gospel, "Jesus said to His followers, 'things will surely happen that will make people sin. But it will be very bad for anyone who makes this happen. 

It will be very bad for anyone who makes one of these little children sin. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the sea. So be careful.'" Luke 17:1-3 (ERV)

St. Mark wrote in his gospel that Jesus once said, "If someone causes one of the little ones who believe in me to lose faith, it would be better for that man if a huge millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Mark 9:42 (TLB)

One day, the Bible promises that Jesus will wipe away every tear from every eye.

I pray for all the precious souls that have been hurt by those who have misused the truth with evil intentions. 

May the Lord Jesus restore your soul. May He wrap you in His measureless love for you and cover your scars with the blood He shed for you on the cross. May you know that He shares your pain and suffering. May He wash it away, along with all your tears in the Mercy River, as you trust your heart to Him. In Jesus' Name. 

Jesus Cherishes you and so do I. ~Suzanne ❤️

Unto The Least of These "May God Restore Your Soul" © 2014 Suzanne Davis Harden, All Rights Reserved.  Photo Credit/via Pinterest; Scripture Quotations:  (ERV) © 2006 World Bible Tranlation Center All Rights Reserved. (TLB © 1971 Tyndale  House, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Bridge of Safety

     "Little Emily" Oil Painting Study by S.D. Harden 

   (after an original illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith)

"Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 

Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. 

This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. 

Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him."  Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6

"Little Emily" is an oil painting study I did in college when I was 20 years old. It's a copy of an illustration by my favorite illustrator Jessie Willcox Smith. (1865-1934)

(The original by JW Smith is far nicer in every way if you want to compare them.)

But as a young art student I loved copying all of my favorite artists in the hopes that I could someday attain to their level of excellence. 

Little Emily seems to me an illustration of someone who is walking by faith.

Balanced on a narrow beam over a deep body of water into which she could fall at any moment, she nervously walks toward her goal. 

In my heart, I imagine that the narrow beam she is walking on is God's trusted word. It will not fail her. But she must stay upon it. The way of life is narrow. And one must not walk to the right or to the left.

And if one turns back~look at the painting~she goes off the deep end!  

The past exists no more. 

One just has to keep going forward, walking on the path of God's proven word. 

Jesus said, "The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed, but my words will last forever." (Matthew 24:35)

God never lies. We can trust His word.

"God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change His mind. When (God) says something, He does it. When He makes a promise, He keeps it." ~ (Numbers 23:19)

That painting reminds me of how so often our lives are a balancing act of faith over deep waters upon the bridge of God's trusted word.

God is in His word. God is in our hearts. He will not fail us. As we keep our eyes focused on Christ, and do not become distracted, we will not lose our balance and fall into the sea of worry, doubt, fear, depression, anxiety and everything else that robs us of our joy.

But if we do somehow fall, we have a Good Shepherd, a Savior with a powerful hand  who will reach down into those murky depths and pull us out. 

His word promises:

"God reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters." (Psalm 18:16)

"The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24)

We serve a mighty God. He says, "I am the Lord. I am the God of every person on the earth. You know that nothing is impossible for me.” (Jeremiah 32:27)

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, that nothing is impossible for You! You can keep us on the path of life, restore us if we somehow fall, and that Your word is our bridge of safety that will never fail us. We love You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Unto The Least of These "Bridge of Safety" © 2014 S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved. Illustration: "Little Emily" Oil Painting copy by © S.D.Harden (after an original illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith) 

The Importance of God's Word

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, 

bless his holy name." ~Psalm 103:1

Bless The Lord

Oh my soul, thank the Lord

For all He gives to me;

He forgives all of my sins

And heals all my disease.

Thank you Lord, 

I'll praise you Lord, 

For all eternity!

Thank you, Lord, you crown my soul

With love and You redeemed

My life with Jesus' precious blood;

You saved and set me free.

Oh thank You, Lord, for loving me

Oh bless the Lord, my soul!

You gave to me eternal life,

I'll praise You evermore!

Bless The Lord

© 2014 Prayer Song S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORD

The prayer song "Bless The Lord" was inspired by Psalm 103, a psalm that King David wrote.

It's one of my favorite Psalms. Some of my favorite verses from this psalm are beautiful promises from God that have been etched in the minds of believers for thousands of years~ ever since David first penned the words:

Psalm 103:11-12, 17 (ERV)

 "God's love for His followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 

And He has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west." 

"But the Lord has always loved His followers, and He will continue to love them forever and ever! He will be good to all their descendants..."  

These words comfort and encourage me at all times. God asks us to learn the promises in His word and then to hide them in our heart like precious jewels that we would want to protect from thieves. Because there is a thief, Jesus told His followers, whose sole mission is to "steal, kill, and destroy..." (John 10:10) And his target is God's precious children. 

Jesus said that the devil is "a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)  Deciet is the main weapon he uses for stealing God's precious promises from His people. He was successful with our first parents in the Garden of Eden by directly challenging God's word to Adam and Eve. The serpent said to them, "Yea, hath God said?" (Genesis 3:1) Then he lied about God by twisting His word. ( Genesis 3:4-6) He succeeded in stealing Paradise from them through his power of deceit. 

God's word says: "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." ~ Hosea 4:6

Jesus told a parable about a sower who sowed some seed. He said the seed was the word of God. He said the seed will only produce fruit depending upon where it lands. 

In Matthew 13:19 Jesus said, "The seed that fell by the path...is like the people who hear the teaching about God’s kingdom but do not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in their hearts." 

It is very important that we regularly study and meditate on God's word. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

If we don't hide God's word in our hearts, when trouble comes our way, or any time of suffering or trial, it will be very difficult to maintain our faith or gain any understanding or insight into our experience. We will also become easy targets for false teachings. (Deceptions)

We can never know God's truth unless we study it for ourselves. Jesus gave us this beautiful promise: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth." (John 16:13) 

As we hide God's word in our hearts our faith will grow. We will grow closer to our Lord Jesus. We will become stronger spiritually. Then, no matter how dark the night, no matter how fierce the storm, we will be able to sing with David who suffered many severe trials, "Bless The Lord, oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name..."

Thank You Heavenly Father, for Your measureless love towards us. We would not know You apart from Your word or apart from Your Holy Son Jesus Christ, the living Word of God. Thank You for filling us with Your Holy Spirit who teaches us how to understand Your word and helps us obey You. We love You! In Jesus' name, Amen.

"The Importance of God's Word" © 2014 S.D. Harden "Bless The Lord" Prayer Song © 2014 S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved. Unto The Least of These © 2014