John 8:12

JOHN 8: 12

12Nang magkagayon, nagsalitang muli si Jesus sa kanila. Sinabi niya: Ako ang ilaw ng sanlibutan. Siya na sumusunod sa akin ay hindi lalakad kailanman sa kadiliman. Siya ay magkakaroon ng ilaw ng buhay.

12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."


Following the Light

The scripture is taken from the Book of John in which the chapter is titled ‘The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony’. My aim for today’s devotion is to highlight the 12th verse. The Lord Jesus is proclaiming Himself as the Light of the World. The One who brings the right path towards an eternal life.



First , what does it mean when Jesus said “Light of the World”?

The world, we might say, is the reality going outside and maybe inside our very own home. On the other hand, world that is physical, or the world in its connotative meaning, means the people who are living, including you and I. According to WORDWEB, my fave online dictionary, world means:

• Everything that exists anywhere
• All of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
e.g. his world was shattered"; "we live in different worlds"
• The 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
E.g. "he sailed around the world"
• People in general considered as a whole
• A part of the earth that can be considered separately
e.g. "the outdoor world"; "the world of insects"
• The concerns of this life as distinguished from heaven and the afterlife
e.g. "they consider the church to be independent of the world"
• All of the living human inhabitants of the earth
e.g. "the entire world loves a lover"
• Involving the entire earth; not limited or provincial in scope
e.g. "a world crisis"

The passage is more likely referring to all the living humans on the earth. To support this is His second statement that goes ‘whoever follows me’, pertaining to the people who have his or her own free will to follow the Light. These people who can either choose to remain in the dark or have the Light of life which also means an eternal life. (John 3:16, ‘whoever follows the begotten Son of God will never perish but will have eternal life’.)

How will I apply it in my daily living? Maybe I should answer how to follow Lord Jesus, in the light of my work and situations I am facing right now.

Currently, I am getting somehow bored of my work. I am practically doing nothing, not because I am lazy, but because there’s no so much work to do. Besides, my bosses sometimes ignore my suggestions. So, what am I to do? Argh.

And now I am again thinking, what am I good at? I wish I am in the right place, exerting my efforts on the right company, maximizing my potentials with the pool of excellent people. What am I doing here in this kind of company who doesn’t even value on a professional looking business card? Argh.
I don’t want anymore to grope in the dark… I don’t want to guess or even to mi-ni-mi-ni- mi ni mo my next career move. Please Lord, shed me some light.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Right, I should give God my trust! Wholeheartedly! This is what he instructed me to do! Because I now am starting to doubt what He is planning to do on me, I am, naturally begin to be impatient! Awww.. the natural Ice is getting bored and is quitting… Do I want myself to be called a quitter? Just for my comfort and stability?

I’ve thought of these questions because before this job, I have other offers. And there are zillions of better companies in which I could work for rather than this one. But this is the challenge. Do I really trust my God wholeheartedly to not lean on my own understanding, apprehensions, intellect, reasons, interpretations, perception, realization that He planned for me to where exactly am I???

Wholeheartedly is defined as characterized by unreserved enthusiasm, passion, or commitment. No reservations! With enthusiasm! With passion! With commitment! Passionately, unreservedly, totally, unstintingly, unequivocally, one hundred percent, unswervingly, committedly.

Questions!

1. Do I trust God with a great enthusiasm and also, am I excited in what He’s going to do with my life?
2. Do I trust God with a real passion? Trusting Him alone 100 percent?
3. Am I committed on trusting Him?


If I follow Him, I will never walk in darkness. Why is it I still stumble? Still feel lost and don’t know what to do with my life? Careers to pursue? Priorities to concentrate? Simply because I am not following Him faithfully everyday of my life and because I am not trusting Him wholeheartedly. Yes, I did accept Him to be my Lord and Savior but to the other things in my life, I still cling on those not yet surrendered part of me. Which I think is my impatience and being stubborn and trusting Him only 99 percent. Not 100 percent. Argh!

If I don’t want to feel lost anymore, He has solution with this. Trust Him 100%, don’t let any human, confined and limited mind overshadow things that God can do and He will make my path straight. He will reveal things to me. Clearly. If I will just trust Him and His instructions and don’t doubt, not even a miniscule, He will guide me towards His original plan for me, which is to prosper me, to give me hope and future. (Jeremiah 29:11)