After a dear friend highly recommended Sara Young’s
devotional book, Jesus Calling: Enjoying
Peace in His Presence, I downloaded it for my Kindle. What a
treasure it is!!! As soon as I finish my daily Bible reading, I read the day’s devotional. Reading each one is as exciting (and easy!) as finding precious gems
scattered on the ground, just waiting for me to notice them and be uplifted by
them.
The author writes what she senses Jesus saying to
her, hence the title Jesus Calling.
As I read the words in the Feb. 11th devotional, I gave thanks for
the confirmation of something quite similar He had said to me the night I’d
looked out the window of our room on the ninth-floor of a hotel in Savannah and
immediately noticed the brightly lit steeple of a nearby church. Nearly all the
other buildings were concealed in darkness, which made the lighted steeple
stand out all the more.
The picture I’d felt compelled to take, though it was
1:00 in the morning, isn't any good--from a technical perspective--since I took
it in low light and through the thick glass of the window while I hand held the
camera. Plus, I couldn’t change my vantage point much at all. All those factors, when combined, produced a very poor picture. Even so, it’s a favorite of mine because
I love how that lighted structure contrasts so sharply (and beautifully) with
the surrounding darkness.
Thus, I immediately thought of that photo as I read these words in Jesus Calling: “My Peace is like a
shaft of golden light shining on you continuously….See times of darkness as
opportunities for My light to shine in transcendent splendor.”
Note: The
following morning, I photographed the same steeple. I could see more details. I
produced a more technically correct photo. But gone was the striking contrast
the light had made while surrounded by darkness. So, I was thankful I had taken
the time to make the photograph in the middle of the night. I will use it to
remind me that God uses even our dark times as opportunities to showcase His
splendor, causing others to notice the incredible difference He makes in the lives
of those He indwells.
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