“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15
“All praise to you, O God, this night
For all the blessings of the light;
Keep us, we pray, O King of kings,
Beneath your own almighty wings.” Breviary Night Prayer hymn
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12). When a soul focuses itself upon this Light, it “will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12.
This is Jesus’ promise!
What does it mean though? I’m to Biblical scholar so my thoughts are purely personal. But, for me, this means trusting God’s Divine Will.
There is no doubt that someday, we will all walk through some dark time. When we trust in the Divine Will of God, the darkness lightens toward brightness. The more we trust, the brighter the Light becomes. This doesn’t magically make the difficult situation go away. But, it does change the perspective of the moment.
I look back at my daughter’s illness over the past decade. I outlined the story in my book, “I knew His Voice”, so others can learn from my walk and be uplifted by the active presence of Jesus. Click here to go directly to the Amazon store to purchase a copy today.
You can read the full story of how I walked through with Jesus. It hasn’t been all roses and rainbows, but I would have dreaded facing the past decade without Jesus.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me” Psalm 23:4
I have wondered about that other path. If I hadn’t come to Jesus in the years before this hit our family, what would I have done? Would I have been able to get through it all? As I reflect on this time, I can clearly see what it would have been like to walk into this situation without the Light and presence of Jesus and with it.
I can’t relate in a short reflection all I’ve seen and felt about what life would have been like these past ten years without the Light. I’ve seen much different outcomes. k
I know without the light that was my Emmaus brothers, that dreadful night in the ICU would not have ended so well. I know without their prayers, she would have died that night. Even the critical care doctor in the ICU that night attested to the power of those prayers.
The appearance of Jesus to my daughter while in my presence and the words He and the Father spoke directly to me gave me strength to endure and fight through. In the darkest, most stressful times, Their words settled upon my heart and mind, giving me a peace.
His Holy Word and verses from scripture came to me, apparently out of no where, to give me a focus and lift me up to move forward one more time. “My Sheep know my Voice” from John 10:27 is the most powerful example and the verse upon which “I knew His Voice” is titled.
I would have broken down so many times through those first months without the Light of Jesus. I accomplished so much because of the flicker of His Light in the dark days. Most importantly, my daughter tells me I was her strength and that she doesn’t think she’s have made it without me. This wasn’t me, it was Christ shining through me. This Light of Jesus shone through me, strengthening and empowering me to stand tall (even upon my knees), it radiates through me to strengthen and give hope the my daughter and shine brightly enough to open the medical staff to the power and love of Jesus.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths. for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3
This Light of Jesus is within your grasp, take it!