The last few days I've been kind of captivated by the imagery of light. When I've asked the Lord how He wants me to represent Him, I've had three verses bounce around in my head. Exodus 33:29, Luke 11:34, and Hebrews 2:2. I am continually astounded at the illustration of Moses's face being so radiant as to cause fear in the hearts of the Israelites - and that the source of the radiance was being in the presence of God. It literally boggles my mind.
I'm an action, service, Martha kinda girl... and I always wonder how one stays in the presence of God in the middle of this crazy life... which brings me to Hebrews 2:2 and the concept of fixing our eyes on Jesus. In KJV it reads "looking unto Jesus" and "looking" is translated into "to look away from one thing so as to see another" "to concentrate the gaze upon" I love the concept of gazing, because it requires less action and more stillness. If you're going to gaze dreamily into someone's eyes... you can't really do it while you're jogging around, eating food, putting on makeup, etc. However, this translation also gives some power to being still. We often conotate gazing as a lazy business.... something people do as they daydream - but this fixing of the eyes takes willpower to turn away from other distracting things - to one thing - Jesus Christ and his life.
Fixing of the eyes made me think of that weird verse about your eye being the lamp of your body and providing light. In the KJV, the verse translates even more bizzarely "when thine eye is single, thy whole body is also full of light..." WHAT?! Single is translated "no folds within which to hide something" and eye is translated into "singleness of motive" or "faculty of knowing". So actually this verse ties in perfectly with Hebrews 12:2. This verse warns us to have an undivided heart - one focused on the Lord and not mammon (accumulating for ourselves). To quote Herbert Lockyer, "a mind divided between heaven and earth is dark" (1963, p.149). Conversely, "As we walk with good, sound eyes, and walking in light see objects clearly so the single persistent desire to serve and please God in everything will make our character consistent and bright" (1963, p. 149). Finally, when we live wholeheartedly for the Lord, we have nothing to hide. Therefore, we can live a transparent life... which is the only life that can allow light to shine through.
At this time of year, light/sunshine brings us lightness of heart and joy. So it is with a life centered on God. This is how Christ endured the cross and this is how we are to live as light to the world - something that people crave like sunlight in the winter/spring. As vessels of God's light we are to be warm, transparent, and light of heart with the hope of abundant life in Christ.
May you be radiant today,
All my love,
Katie
Verses:
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord."
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
34 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”
Reference: All the Parables of the Bible by Hebert Lockyer
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