Listen

God calls out to the skies above and to the earth in order to judge his people: “Bring my faithful to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” The skies proclaim his righteousness because God himself is the judge. Selah

Psalm 50:4-6

Think

Here’s the thing about light: it makes a terrible hiding place. When there are things about ourselves we’d rather not have anyone notice, we put those things in the dark. We hide them away. We camouflage and distract. The last thing we want is a big, bright light shining on our failures and announcing them to the world.

How can judgment ever be good news? Why do these ancient writers seem to get excited about God bringing our failures and deficiencies to the light? What’s so great about remembering that God is a judge?

I think it has something to do with this: whether something exists in the light or the dark, it is real. We can hide it, ignore it, tuck it away in the darkness, but it’s still there. Still real. Only in the light can we see what we’re dealing with. Only in the light can we begin to solve the puzzle, heal the wounds. In God’s light we can grow.

Caela Simmons Wood

Pray

God of Justice, can you help me sit in the light? Can you teach me how to sit with the discomfort of my flaws and failures? Can you love me through my growing pains? I believe you can. Help my unbelief. Amen.

Go

Renewed, restored, refreshed, refocused on the Light of Christ — that’s you! Now it’s time to go forth and let your re-kindled light shine for all to see.

You’ve got this.

Go, let it shine!