I Can See Clearly: A Devotional Study on Light

STORY: A Speck in My Eye

Light is a funny thing—it does more than we even realize. Let me back up and explain. Due to having long-term steroid treatment for my disease, I developed premature cataracts that are located within a different part of the eye than age-related cataracts.

I didn’t even realize they were there, blocking the light. Instead, I just figured darkness was to blame. On all my devices, when my screens dim, I bump up the brightness all the way to light. I turn on lights in the house even when the sun is out. And at night, driving is a big challenge for me—I simply can’t see clearly.

But it didn’t seem like merely an issue of perceived darkness. These cataracts also impair the clarity of my vision. I clean my eyeglasses multiple times a day because it seems like there are smudges or scratches on the lenses, keeping me from seeing clearly. No—the cataracts are to blame.

In life, we need the Light of the Word to help us see clearly. And we can live that light before others, to help them find their way in life.

I can’t wait for the day I have my cataracts removed and I sing, “I can see clearly now...” But just think how much better it is for the things causing hindrances in my life to be removed. And when I get to heaven, I’ll have the ultimate vision makeover!

STORY: Light Brings Life

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. (Philippians 2:14-16 NLT)

• What are the behaviors and attitudes here that will cause you to shine like a bright light?
• What is one thing that gets in your way of those good intentions?

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” (John 3:16-21 NLT)

• How do you see love and light working together—existing together?
• Why do you think people love darkness more than light?
• It is common to figure out a way to justify our ungodly actions and not view them as evil. How can we fight that tendency and live more in the light?

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. (1 John 1:5-10 NLT)

• One of the daily devotional practices I have is to list attributes of God that lead me to praise and worship him. (This is different than being grateful and saying thanks for what he has done for me—I do that too.) How would you word a praise to God for being light?
• How do we fellowship with God in the light?
• When we walk in the light we also have fellowship with others who walk in the light. But how do we walk in the light?

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)

• What is the light that dwells in us? How do we hide it? How do we let it shine?
• What are the risks of letting the light shine? What are the benefits?

STEPS: Be a Light Bearer

(See Philippians 2:14-16 above)

1. Live clean. A pure heart creates the best reputation.
2. Shine bright. Be a breath of fresh air in someone’s polluted world.
3. Hold tight. God’s Word is a trusted foundation when life is unstable.

Copyright © 2021 Kathy Carlton Willis, used with permission.