Single-Minded part 3
I love the light. It is such a powerful picture of God and His love for us (which is really the same thing, because God IS love). The light of the world shining in us and through us. Jesus said HE was the light of the world, and He said that WE are the light of the world. Because it's the same light. The same love. The same Spirit. As He is, so are we in this world. And the light is what empowers us to see things as they truly are. When we allow God's Word (which is Jesus, which is love) to be that lamp unto our feet and that light unto our path... that's when we can see where we're going. That's when we can walk (by faith) in confidence. And that's how we get to where we NEED to go. (I put emphasis on it because sometimes where we WANT to go is NOT where we need to go.) God knows the end from the beginning. He knows the thoughts that He thinks toward us. Not evil, but peace. To bring us an expected end. See, He doesn't just have this great idea of what it should be. He knows what it CAN be. What He EXPECTS it to be. And our part to the Way of Grace that He has made for us... is the Walk of Faith. Going where He leads. Trusting Him. Trusting love. If you do what you do with love, out of love, because of love, for love... you will never go astray. Because His Word (again, Jesus... love...) will be lighting up your path. The key is to be single-minded. Yesterday we looked at Luke 11:34-35, and today I want to quote Matthew 6:22--which is pretty much exactly the same thing. "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." What you see is what you be. If you only see love--no matter what or where or who--you'll only experience love. And you don't have to see it in the external situation. You can see it on the inside and let it out INTO the external situation. The fire in you is always hotter than the fire you're in. Like those three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace. "Didn't we throw three in there? Because I see four. And the fourth one looks like the Son of God!" Well, because it was. Because Jesus swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. He's always there. We just don't always see Him. Because we aren't always looking for Him. But we can. And should. Look at Luke 11:9, "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." God doesn't hold things back. Especially not Himself (His love, which, again, is the same thing). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). If He wouldn't withhold His beloved Son... why do we think He would withhold anything? He won't. He didn't. On the cross He gave it all. That's what love is--giving everything you have and everything you are. So we don't need God's love. We already have it. Being double minded is picking those flower petals and hoping we land on "He loves me" instead of "He loves me not." Reality, single-mindedness, is knowing that He loves us, He loves us, He loves us. He always has and always will. He shines that light of love on us so we can see the truth. So we can know the truth and experience the truth. Know and experience His love... and love Him back by loving each other!