SCRIPTURE: “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” – John 12:46 (KJV).
From the story of Bartimaeus, we learn that darkness and sorrow go hand in hand. You don’t have to understand philosophy to know that a blind beggar must have been sad. I pray for you: Your eyes will never grow dim, in Jesus’ name.
Darkness and sorrow go hand in hand, which means light brings joy. Psalm 16:11 says: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Our Bible reading for today says that when the Lord turned around the people’s captivity, their mouths were filled with laughter. That is the nature of Light; He brings laughter. Light stands for joy (John 16:24).
There was this woman whose children were dying so she visited a white garment prophet for a solution. When she got there, the man’s wife gave her a piece of kolanut to eat, claiming that was the solution to her problem. She ate it and at night, found herself in a witchcraft meeting. Before long, she had offered up her husband. After about two years, the other witches asked for one of her children – the very children she wanted to protect. She attended one of our programmes in Ilorin and while I was preaching, I noticed a commotion in the congregation. After the service, the ushers told me that the woman’s dress caught fire during the preaching. We prayed a simple prayer after which she gave her life to Christ and when she went home, she excreted a dead snake. She was free from that day on. Darkness does not give joy, all it has to offer is sorrow. Proverbs 10:22 says it is only the blessings of God that maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. If the devil is offering you something that seems good, you will not fall for it, in Jesus’ name.
If you are truly a child of Light, how can you stay away from Jesus – the Light of the world? Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” If you remain in darkness, you will keep suffering, but when you turn to Jesus Christ, He gives you a new beginning and turns the tide for you. If you really want to be in the Light, then you should begin to live holy from today.
Open Heaven 20 August 2023 KEY POINT:
If the devil is offering you something that seems good, that thing is only a bait; his real aim is to bring you sorrow.