Light

Psalms 44:3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.


Ugh, I love that!...the light of your countenance...light and life go hand in hand:


John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.


I need the light of Jesus' countenance as much as the trees in my backyard need sun. Without the light of the sun, my trees would die quickly. I have two mature evergreen trees that a friend planted in my backyard with a spade truck a couple of years ago. One of the trees was planted in the open, another was planted in a shadier spot. They looked identical when they were planted. The one in the open is flourishing, while the one in the shade is anemic looking. Right now they are in the growth cycle. Mr. Sunny has added about 5 inches of growth to each branch, while the one in the shade has added maybe an inch. The amount of light they are exposed to entirely decides how much life they are experiencing. They get the same food, water, and soil...but the light is what makes all that other stuff work together to produce life!


The Bible says I am no different. The more light I expose myself and my family to, the more growth I can expect in our lives.


The economy of God is nearly the mirror opposite of the economy of mankind. The Bible, especially the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5,6,and 7) is full of this information. God's economy is very biased towards one source of life...God. This is reflected in the instruction to seek Him first, and let the light bring the rest of life into fullness:


Matthew 6:31-33 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.


God's economy is very "unbalanced"...I can excel in God's economy by letting go of everything I am tempted to hold onto. The less I surround myself with stuff to shade my life, the more light I can take in.


Mankind's economy is the opposite. It is based in the belief that WE are the source of life. It is geared toward control...it encourages me to hold onto things to preserve what I have, and position myself to collect more. The more I try to preserve, the more those things actually shade me from the light I need to grow.


The truth of how God’s economy really works makes no sense from the world’s point of view. According to human “common sense” if I want the right amount of money to make life good, I work harder and save more money. I try hard to keep more in my hands. According to God’s wisdom, if you want the right amount of money to bring life, you risk it by giving it to other people who need it and using it to help others whenever you see God opening a door.


According to human common sense, if you want to use your time to bring yourself life, you don’t agree to help other people out in ways that take up your time. In God’s economy, if you want your time to bring more life, you sacrifice the time you have to help others. According to the world, if you want more possessions, you don’t loan them to others. You save them only for you and take such good care of them they look like they have never been used. In God’s wisdom, if you want more possessions, or to really be able to enjoy your possessions, you share with anyone who asks, with no conditions, and you trust God to preserve your stuff according to His wisdom.


These ideas are the exact opposites of what most people say to do. Even around most Christians, if you act this way you will appear extreme. This isn’t extreme, this is simply believing what Jesus says is true and actually acting on it. If I want to know what I really believe, two of the best places I can check are my calendar and my checkbook. These are two of the best barometers of my heart.


It is tempting to think that what I really need is balance, but the truth is...if I want life...what I really need is more light.


I want more life! I want to live a vibrant and exciting life taking risks following what Jesus says is true. The more I press into this, the more I see the enemy trying to "resist" me. He is terrified of people living on fire for Jesus!


As life gets more intense, and I press into God more, the world's wisdom says: you need balance or you will "burn out." This is a lie straight from hell. I don't say that lightly...it really is. It is a lie based in "common sense" that doesn't recognize the true Source of Life.


I will never get refreshed from less encounter with the Light...Jesus...the Source of life. When I feel weary, pressing into Jesus...making myself available to more light...is what propels me into more life.


Christians don't burn out from living a single focused life on fire for Jesus. People burn out by trying to live two lives, one for Jesus and one for themselves.


John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.