THE GUIDING LIGHT - Let there be Light!!

Dan_5:11  There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 

Dan_5:14  I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

Based on the principle of first mention, we can deduce from the very first words that God spoke in the book of Genesis, that He calls for light to lighten dark situations. I have often wondered where this first light that God commanded into existence came from, because based on biblical record the Sun and the moon came into existence later. I will leave off discussing this point but I would like to stress that the light by which creation began was not based on that given off by the Sun or the Moon.

In the natural, their are different sources of light that we can use to find our way.  Light is used to light up paths and help one find direction. Without light, we become like blind men and without direction.

In the Scriptural verse above, when King Belshazzar required insight or interpretation of the words written on the wall, he asked for a man that had three things: light, understanding and wisdom. I can understand the need for understanding and wisdom but what does the light do? Surely, this King was not referring to ordinary kind of light that we are used to? He definitely was not!

Light in this case, therefore, referred to inspired thoughts or insight into a matter, that proceeds from a source that is outside of the natural or that which humans unaided can access. When we speak of light we are talking here about inspired thoughts or insight. (Please bear this definition in mind as we continue in this teaching)

This brings us to a point where we need to define the different sources of light or inspiration or insight that men can walk by.

Rev_22:5  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

I will use these light sources, in the above scripture and add a few more, as an analogy to drive home my point.

The Sun:You can walk by the light of the Sun. This light source is available to everyone to see by. In this teaching, the sun's light,based on its availability to everyone, can be used to represent worldly wisdom or the wisdom that is generally accessible to all men. Many walk by this natural worldly inspiration. What defines their life , where they live and what they pursue as an ambition in life and their value system are based on what is generally acceptable by men.

Friend, if you are living your life based on the direction of the society around you, or what is socially acceptable for you is what the society defines as acceptable, then you are walking by the light of the 'sun'. If your definitions and perceptions  in life  always agrees with the unsaved world around you, then you, my friend, are walking by the light of the 'sun'.

However, there is a light brighter than the sun at noon day( At noon when the sun is at its brightest and best). God struck Paul blind with a light that is brighter than the noonday sun. Unless your perception is changed by God, you can not seek to be guided by a more superior light. The disadvantage that the light that comes from this world has is that it, like the sun, does not last for ever! It goes down at the night seasons of life! In the worst of situations, it fails men.


Artificial Light(Candle): Those who walk by this light, I will describe as men who have enhanced their understanding and have gained more knowledge than the average man. If all you do in life is based on the brilliance  that comes from your mind, if you have planned the course of your life without God's involvement then you my friend are walking by this light.  A lot have started businesses based on good feasibility studies but never found out if that was the course that God wanted their lives to take. Regrettably, they have succeeded and have thus planned out a way of existence without any need for God.This light also goes out, when power goes.

The Moon: This is a source of light that though weak, some walk by it. The magicians walked by some form of light. Some have realized the deficiency of their mind and the ordinary way of getting direction and have turned to darkness for this form of light. Several live their lives by the directions gotten from Horoscopes, Ouija board, fortune tellers etc


The Life that is light: This is the ultimate source of light or inspiration that every believer should walk by.

John1:4 says In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Job 29:3  When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
 
John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

This ought to be the way the believer get direction in life. Our minds ought to be enlightened by the spirit of God and hence we draw our bearing from the very throne of God.Those who walk by this light are those whose lives are as dictated from God. Job said he walked through darkness by the light of God. This light is brighter than the Sun at its brightest, it exceeds the wisdom found in darkness as can be seen in the in the book of Daniel(because the magicians could not interpret the writings), the brilliance of Gods guidance, even though it may seem foolish to men, exceeds our best minds and what they can conceptualize. Friend, the scripture declares that the foolishness of God is wiser than men. 

Is the course of your life as dictated from the world? or you have conceived it from your brilliant and analytical mind? You will never arrive at God's purpose for your life, except you are led by the guiding light that comes from God. This light can first be accessed from the Word of God and by the Spirit of God within us. Without it our lives will be ordinary and without a mark that is made in eternity. 

Let Jesus direct the course of your life, by His light you will go through darkness and like the Psalmist prayed: Psa 18:28  For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. Your spirit is the candle of God(Prov. 20:27) and this light can lit by the inner working of Gods spirit, any other way, will lead to destruction.