18 June 2007 Devotion for Today "While You Have Light" John 12.36-37
“While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.” John 12.36-37
It is interesting how we may have few moments of brilliance, followed by long periods of ordinary dullness. There are exceptions to this of course, but most of us flow down channels of least resistance without being open to anything that might challenge the status quo; even it would rescue us from plunging over a water fall.
Jesus challenged the mind-set of His own generation as He sat reading and teaching in the synagogue one Sabbath. This was the synagogue where He had been taught as a child-where He had been bar-mitzvahed and where He served as a layman. It was extremely difficult for the people of Jesus' hometown to accept Him. They could only remember Him as a boy, but could not accept Him as a grown man, much less as the Son of God. There were some who believed, but feared to commit themselves. They failed to act upon what they knew to be true. Some feared being put out of the synagogue, but I suspect most just did not want to commit themselves because it was too much trouble to think about.
Jesus tells us to believe in the light while we have it. Its not that He does not want us to think too much about it, but many people will consider something, and then get busy, and then allow it to lapse into the recesses of their memories. Christ doesn’t wish for that to happen to us with regard to the light He offers us. Its best to commit to it now while we have it. When the period of momentary brilliance has been thrust upon us, act upon it now. We may never have another chance again.
Have a blessed day.
Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@embarqmail.com
jcrussell@liberty.edu
Church website: http://25621.lifewaylink.com
Devotion Archives: http://www.msnusers.com/DevotionforToday
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