Light

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

LIGHT

Prov 20:27

27 The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being.

NIV

There is a great deal of thinking that has been done by our scholars of old regarding this proverb. Some translations have written this somewhat backwards from this one. They have it say that the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. The interlinear says the candle of God is the breath of man searching all the inner parts the belly. The two ways we could see this is first that God lights is put into man, the knowledge of God has been put into every man so that he has a conscience knowing good from evil. But that is inconsistent with the way in which God created man. God did not create man with a conscience so to examine his own heart knowing good from evil. God created Adam with a perfect heart, yet one able to make his own choices. Adam did not know evil until he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So then Gods lamp cannot be the conscience of man who is able to know what is right and wrong. Yet at the same time the lamp of the Lord, the divine inspiration within the word of God is a lamp, it illuminates the heart of man with what is right and wrong. When we read the word of God it searches our heart, it penetrates our heart, if we are under the conviction of the Spirit. People can read the bible and find nothing of inspiration, but rather attempt to see their perceived inconsistences and do not believe it as truth. However, we could also see this lamp of God as his flashlight beaming its light into the inner most parts of our being, the thoughts of our heart. Either way the idea remains the same, God shines his light into our being, either through the working of the Spirit or through his divine word.  Both search our heart and mind, but shed the light within us. When we live in the darkness of this world we cannot see anything. This darkness is as if we are blind, without vision, unable to walk on our own without stumbling around. We bounce off of one thing unto another, never finding the right path. But when the light of God is shone into us we are enlightened and our vision is clear, we can see the path he shines his lamp upon for us to travel.

Job 29:3

3 when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness!

NIV

It is only due to the light of God that we can find him. He gives us his light. He is the light of the world. Darkness cannot overcome his light. It shines into the darkest region of our hearts and gives us a way to see him.

2 Cor 4:7

6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

NIV

Praise God we live in the light of God, that he called us out of the city of darkness and sin into the city of his light and love. Let us always be in his light.