Verse of the Day 1/8

 

1 John 1:7-8 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  English Standard Version (ESV)

For today's verses we'll return to 1 John chapter 1, prompted by the message that I heard on this passage on Wednesday night.  

The other night I saw a clip of all kinds of accidents that occurred while people were walking in broad daylight but ended up falling into fountains, down stairs or into the street because they were concentrating on their cell phones and other mobile devices.  There is a new phrase for this, "distracted pedestrians".  Even though light is all around them they still stumble because they are not looking where they are going and their eyes and minds are focused on other things than the path in front of them, even their next step.

Reading these verses the phrase "walk in the light" caught my attention in two ways.  One was thinking back to Psalm 119:105 where we read that God's Word is "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path".  If you've ever walked in the woods during the fall season the path may be covered with leaves and it may be difficult to see roots or rocks underneath.  At dusk and as night approaches and light fades it becomes more difficult to notice these things and it is easier to get tripped up.  It is good to have a light to shine ahead and see further down the path to where you are going but the lamp and the light from it are most important for that next step, because it is in that next step that you may stumble.

The second thought was to another hymn that I've known since childhood, "Trust and Obey" - 

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will
He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey

Trust and obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey

His Word, this light shines on our path.  It reveals our sins, even our "lurking ones" as we considered the other day, and gives us the opportunity not to make the wrong next step that could cause us to stumble. Walking in this light will bring us more joy as we do His good will, and as we do so He walks with us, abides in us each step of the way.  Don't be a distracted Christian, walk by the light of His Word, "walking circumspectly" with your eyes wide open to what is going on around you.

Ephesians 5:15-16See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. New King James Version (NKJV)

Blessings,

Mike

1 John 1:7-10The Message (MSG)

6-7 If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth—we're not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin.

8-10 If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.

 

 Mike Follow the verse of the day at mikesvotd.blogspot.com