The Light Of Life

There are times when everyone who has believed in God has asked the questions, 'Has God abandoned this situation?' or 'Has God left me?'

It isn't if we have asked the question. All of us have or eventually will so don't condemn yourself or live in denial when it happens. The key is to understand that kind of thinking and not linger there.

"But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.' " - 2 Timothy 2:16-19 ESV

There is a Hell but no one who has believed in Jesus and accepted His gift will go there. The glory of the Lord can depart from a situation but He will never leave or forsake a person who knows Him.

"The LORD said to Moses, 'Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.' " - Exodus 33:1 ESV

There is a time to leave Egypt. God did wonders there but comes a time to leave.

"And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal. And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. When they stood still, these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim." - Ezekiel 10:15-18 ESV

The anointing of God is going to move with to the place where the word of God is preached with power. God is going to leave the threshold of the house and His glory will hover over the four faced cherubim we spoke of yesterday (the four faces representing the four Gospels).

"For he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' " - Hebrews 13:5b ESV

God will never leave us. No matter what our feelings say but the cloud moves with the Ark (see Exodus 13) and we must be ready to pack up mentally and move with it. That can mean many things depending what season a person is in but in this context it applies to being exposed to a ministry of the word of God.

Without objective touchstones relationships can get very subjective can't they? When emotions are riding high with no reigns people end up far from home and a believer without the Bible can easily start walking by sight because there is no other light to guide that individual.

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." - 2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV

No. God has not left you. He never will. You just need God's thoughts. The situation is lacking God's glory so we need to be proactive to be bathed in the place where God's glory is manifested.

There are many voices out there that focus so much on an individuals walk and how much God loves the and is for the individual but neglect the reality that people are lacking because they have no place to belong where God is magnified and the finished work is the basis for culture of social interaction. When the Bible is preached revealing grace and mercy it is truly amazing the healing that can happen. That is a place where people can connect and fellowship around objective truth.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105 ESV

"For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life," - Proverbs 6:23 ESV

"For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness." - Psalm 18:28 ESV

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' " - John 8:12 ESV

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