Facing the Light
Take heed
therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body
therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of
light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. Luke
11:35, 36.
The moment the
eye is turned from Jesus, darkness is seen, darkness is felt, for Jesus only is
light and life and peace and assurance forever. "If therefore thine eye be
single, thy whole body shall be full of light" (Matt. 6:22). . . . What is
it to have a single eye? It is to have a disposition to look upon Christ, for
by beholding we become changed from glory to glory, from character to
character.
As we keep
Christ in view, the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us and
flood the chambers of the mind and heart and fill the soul temple with light.
As the Light of the world shines upon us, we diffuse it to those around
"as when the bright shining of a candle doth give . . . light." The
soul that is stayed upon God commits to Christ all that perplexes, all that
annoys, all that gives anxiety. The light of Christ shines in the soul in all
goodness and peace, for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
. . .
Those who behold
Christ will never plead that their own will may be done, or that their old ways
and habits may be left undisturbed. As they behold Jesus, His image becomes
engraved on heart and soul, and in all their practices they reflect His example
upon the world. Day by day the hands, the feet, the tongue, follow the dictates
of the spiritual nature, and faith makes their path a path that grows brighter
and brighter unto the perfect day. Everything that keeps us from attaining unto
the likeness of Christ is working out for us eternal loss. Then let no one
plead for a continuance of his own way. Let no one seek to excuse his
deficiencies of character by saying, It is "my way." Cooperate with
Jesus Christ and you will see that your own way is a way full of deficiency and
fault, and that if it is not corrected it will cause you to put into your
character building traits that will be as rotten timbers. . . . Let nothing of
these defects of character be found in your building. Build on the rock Christ
Jesus.
From That I May Know Him - Page 190
