Isaiah 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.

This world can be a pretty dark place, but that doesn’t apply for God’s people. As Jesus said, we are in the world but not of the world. (John 17:15-16) The problem is, we can be distressed and depressed by all the darkness around us, and so fail to recognize and appreciate the light we have been given. Mature faith recognizes the reality of the world around us, but at the same time knows that God’s reality is above and beyond everything in the world. That can be hard to remember when we’ve just had an accident, or are sick, or even have experienced a tragedy, but it’s still true. Circumstances and events in this world are never the final answer! Actually, the better we recognize this, the more we will enjoy our time here. When that’s the case, Peter’s words about people asking us to explain the hope that we have are very appropriate indeed. (1 Peter 3:15) This also applies to Jesus’ instructions to let our light shine. (Matthew 5:16) It actually isn’t our light, but the light of God that is in us, and the darker things get around us, the brighter it will seem. The devil hates and fears this reality, so he tries to convince us we have no light, but he’s a liar as always. There is so much about light throughout the Bible that I could go on for hours, but the major thing to remember is that we have light, but it’s not ours, but God’s. We are to welcome and be grateful for the light He gives us, and know that there’s always more.

This is a very timely Word, because at the moment I have a cold, and physically speaking I’m relatively miserable. However, though the symptoms started on Saturday, the Lord gave me a bit of a reprieve yesterday and enabled me to do everything I needed to, so I’m grateful. My point today is to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do, and allow Him to work through my circumstances to grow me and bless those around me. After all, Romans 8:28 doesn’t have any exceptions! This is a reminder that I’m not to try to make it through the season in my own strength, but He will enable me to do everything He has for me to do. His light hasn’t dimmed because I feel bad physically!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this cold with which You’re driving the point home. I ask for clear guidance as to how I’m to cooperate with Your healing and health for me, so that none of the devil’s plans may succeed, and so that the Body of Christ may be built up. Thank You. Praise God!