1 John 1:5

1 John 1:5

Thoughts from Ruthie Smith

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“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.”

1 John 1:5

FOF- Behind the Scenes
Slide

Welcome to week three of our devo series “Foundations of Faith”. This week, we will be looking at what we believe about God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. We believe that God is the Creator of all things and commanded the entire earth into existence through His Word. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He is perfect and holy, completely sinless and true. The Bible teaches us that God is love and that He desires all mankind to come into a right relationship with Him through salvation in Jesus Christ.

Slide

As we draw closer to God, we begin to learn more about who He truly is. He is not this eternal being in a far-off heaven, distant and cold. He is not aloof. He is also not impersonal or some sort of mystical force. He is a person, real, tangible, and faithfully invested into the lives of His people and into His creation. This week, we are going to look at the different descriptions of God in the Bible.

Slide

Today’s verse tells us that God is light. I love this description of our God because it tells us so much about Him. Light is good. It brings life, illuminates, reveals, and guides. In darkness, it is often cold, scary, and unknown. The evil and scary things of this world thrive in the darkness. But we are assured in today’s verse that there is no darkness in God- no room for evil to hide, to thrive in secret, or to jump out and get us. God is light- pure, beautiful, guiding, and clean.

Slide

God is the author of light- He spoke and light was created. And in Revelation 22:5 we read, “Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever.” In the perfect eternal kingdom, God will be our eternal light, casting out all darkness, shadow, and fear. Praise God, I can’t wait for that day!

FOF- Make it Real
Slide

I have heard it said (and you will often hear me repeat), that “only bad things grow in the dark.” And it’s true in the physical world just as much as it is true in our emotional, spiritual, and mental worlds. Wherever darkness exists, there is surely pain, brokenness, disease, and corruption. We naturally understand darkness as something that equals danger. We know instinctively that light is better.

Slide

I can tell you there have been multiple areas of my life where I have allowed darkness to take up space. I have had secret hidden corners where the yuck starts to gather and grow. I have had whole closets of space in my heart where the light of God hadn’t been allowed to shine. There have been deep and dark spaces in my mind that were left untouched, undisturbed by the light. And I can tell you from experience, nothing good ever grew in those dark spaces. Nothing happy, whole, healed, or loving. In the darkness is where the sin stays. In the darkness is where the hurt lives.

Slide

But praise God, He is the God of light. As I have bravely let God shine light into the dark spaces, His light has chased away the darkness. His light has brought healing, truth, righteousness, and wholeness. His light has pierced through even the darkest spots, the spots I wasn’t sure could be healed or whole. It is the God of light who can do this- only ever the God of light, our Yahweh, our King!

Slide

My friend, I don’t know what dark corners still exist in your world. I know I still have a few that need God to tend to them. But I can promise you that it’s worth inviting the God of light in. I can promise you that though the cleaning process might seem scary and you might feel unsure, it is so, so, so worth it. I can promise you that the God of light comes with healing, not harm, with forgiveness not shame, and with compassion not anger.

Slide

He is the God who makes all things new. He is the God of light, who brings life, beauty, and safety in His wake. He is our eternal Light, shining for all the world to see, welcoming those who have been lost in the shadows for too long to find what our souls have been longing for. Will you come? Will you step into the light and welcome it to touch even the deepest, darkest places in your soul?

FOF- End in Prayer
Slide

Heavenly Father,

Father of light and love and peace. Fill me to overflowing with Your light today. God, I am scared of the darkness that sits in the corners and closets. Sometimes it feels so overwhelming and so controlling. But YOU alone are able to shine the light to defeat the darkness. I invite Your light in. I ask You to fill me with it- to let it sink into every nook and cranny of my life. I surrender to Your light.

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen

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“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.” 

1 John 1:5

Behind the Scenes

Welcome to week three of our devo series “Foundations of Faith”. This week, we will be looking at what we believe about God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. We believe that God is the Creator of all things and commanded the entire earth into existence through His Word. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He is perfect and holy, completely sinless and true. The Bible teaches us that God is love and that He desires all mankind to come into a right relationship with Him through salvation in Jesus Christ.  

As we draw closer to God, we begin to learn more about who He truly is. He is not this eternal being in a far-off heaven, distant and cold. He is not aloof. He is also not impersonal or some sort of mystical force. He is a person, real, tangible, and faithfully invested into the lives of His people and into His creation. This week, we are going to look at the different descriptions of God in the Bible.  

Today’s verse tells us that God is light. I love this description of our God because it tells us so much about Him. Light is good. It brings life, illuminates, reveals, and guides. In darkness, it is often cold, scary, and unknown. The evil and scary things of this world thrive in the darkness. But we are assured in today’s verse that there is no darkness in God- no room for evil to hide, to thrive in secret, or to jump out and get us. God is light- pure, beautiful, guiding, and clean. 

God is the author of light- He spoke and light was created. And in Revelation 22:5 we read, “Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever.” In the perfect eternal kingdom, God will be our eternal light, casting out all darkness, shadow, and fear. Praise God, I can’t wait for that day! 

Make It Real

I have heard it said (and you will often hear me repeat), that “only bad things grow in the dark.” And it’s true in the physical world just as much as it is true in our emotional, spiritual, and mental worlds. Wherever darkness exists, there is surely pain, brokenness, disease, and corruption. We naturally understand darkness as something that equals danger. We know instinctively that light is better.  

I can tell you there have been multiple areas of my life where I have allowed darkness to take up space. I have had secret hidden corners where the yuck starts to gather and grow. I have had whole closets of space in my heart where the light of God hadn’t been allowed to shine. There have been deep and dark spaces in my mind that were left untouched, undisturbed by the light. And I can tell you from experience, nothing good ever grew in those dark spaces. Nothing happy, whole, healed, or loving. In the darkness is where the sin stays. In the darkness is where the hurt lives.  

But praise God, He is the God of light. As I have bravely let God shine light into the dark spaces, His light has chased away the darkness. His light has brought healing, truth, righteousness, and wholeness. His light has pierced through even the darkest spots, the spots I wasn’t sure could be healed or whole. It is the God of light who can do this- only ever the God of light, our Yahweh, our King! 

My friend, I don’t know what dark corners still exist in your world. I know I still have a few that need God to tend to them. But I can promise you that it’s worth inviting the God of light in. I can promise you that though the cleaning process might seem scary and you might feel unsure, it is so, so, so worth it. I can promise you that the God of light comes with healing, not harm, with forgiveness not shame, and with compassion not anger.  

He is the God who makes all things new. He is the God of light, who brings life, beauty, and safety in His wake. He is our eternal Light, shining for all the world to see, welcoming those who have been lost in the shadows for too long to find what our souls have been longing for. Will you come? Will you step into the light and welcome it to touch even the deepest, darkest places in your soul? 

Crystal Garnett

Crystal Garnett

ACF Digital Discipleship Director and Church Planter

End in Prayer

Heavenly Father,  

Father of light and love and peace. Fill me to overflowing with Your light today. God, I am scared of the darkness that sits in the corners and closets. Sometimes it feels so overwhelming and so controlling. But YOU alone are able to shine the light to defeat the darkness. I invite Your light in. I ask You to fill me with it- to let it sink into every nook and cranny of my life. I surrender to Your light. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 

Amen

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