Holy Light

 There's a truth that I've been mulling over long in recent days. Like good cider, it's been steeping in the mind for quite some time as I've pondered the significance of it in my own heart. It's simply this: 

You sow seeds in your today that you reap in your tomorrow.

It sounds incredibly obvious, especially to a spiritually-conscious person, but how many of us actually live as though we're setting ourselves up for our spiritual futures by our actions today? How often do we live in light of the fact that we are created for an eternally-ordained destiny?

This has been brought home to me in a very powerful and personal way as I've healed enough in my life to look back over the proverbial shoulder and see where I've been and how far I have come. 

Nearly ten years ago, I sowed seeds of prayer out of the greatest desperation imaginable. All I asked is that God would change me. That somehow, I didn't have to stay in this dark place anymore. I wanted to live because all I felt like was dead inside. I wanted to love because I felt like I couldn't. I felt like I wasn't lovable. I wanted to believe because all I felt I had was doubt. I wanted to hope because I felt like I lived in despair constantly. 

All those years ago, God brought the scripture verse to me of Matthew 5:16: 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may

see your good works, and glorify your Father which

is in heaven." 

I knew the light wasn't inside of me. But I desperately wanted it to be. And that verse became the guide to leading me out of the darkness. Over time, I watched God fulfill that desire and light the flame of hope in my heart that I'd so greatly wanted. Never once did He fail me in that soul-quest to become a new creation. To learn what living the light meant. 

What I wasn't expecting, however, was that those seeds that were sown out of such hardship would germinate close to ten years later. While God has given me continuous proof in all these years that He's making good on His promise to renew, it was just this year that I saw Him bring me back to the concept of being the light. Of reflecting His light. Of showing forth Him. 

All of creation began with a call for light to scatter darkness. The first words of Scripture speak of God commanding, 'Let there be light' and it existing at His very word. All through the Bible, He keeps on bringing up the concept of light - and reminding us that darkness has no place in Him and that He is forever lighting up our dark places. Those four words continue to be spoken over us all these thousands of years later. The promise of hope has never died. It never will. 

The hope of a Christ-follower is that darkness no longer has power in your life. Because the Light of the World lights you. Doesn't mean there aren't still dark days, but they don't have to run your life anymore because Jesus does. And in Him there is no darkness at all. Ever. And one day all will be light. Forever. 

I find it amazing that, while I once sowed seeds of prayer to the winds of grace and hoped for an answer someday, even in that darkest place God still heard. And took all those petitions of heartache and turned them into something beautiful. Wherever you're at in your life - if you're sowing seeds out of hope and expectation, or if you're sowing seeds in tremendous pain and sorrow - God gathers all those up and uses them to be part of your future destiny that He has planned. 

God's call that the light shine still echoes to our souls today. There is still the forever-command that we live the light. Be the light. Shine the light. That, no matter how faint our heart-flame, the light He puts inside of us will, sustained by His promise, always burn. We can certainly hide it, but we can never put it out. God will always go on. The Light always finds a way.