The Godly Woman's Journey: Illumination

Memory/Meditation Verse: "Rise up and shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. ² For see, darkness will cover the earth. Much darkness will cover the people. But the Lord will rise upon you, and His shining-greatness will be seen upon you". ~ Isaiah 60: 1-2 (NLV)

Words come to me and just hang in my thoughts and heart. It may be from a sermon, a conversation, a song. Last week I heard the word illuminate used from a preacher on the radio. He was referencing God's illumination into our life, our thoughts, our heart, allowing us to see and hear Him. I made it a prayer for my quiet times.

The word still stick. So I am nudged by the Holy Spirit to bring it into this journey.

Having God's illumination in our life makes us grow spiritually strong. In this growth we then begin to illuminate His glory. That became my unsettlement...the presence of a word to stir my heart and my living. A realization that I am being called to illuminate His glory.

Encarta defines illuminate (il·lu·mi·nate) as to "shine light on somebody or something: to make somebody or something visible or bright with light, or be lit up decorate something with lights: to decorate something with lights for a celebration clarify something: to make something easier to understand".

Spiritual illumination. It recorded through the scripture...

God's Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies,
laid out the earth and all that grows from it,
Who breathes life into earth's people,
makes them alive with his own life:
"I am God. I have called you to live right and well.
I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:
opening blind eyes,
releasing prisoners from dungeons,
emptying the dark prisons". ~ Isaiah 42: 5-7 (HCSB)

Living from the inside our, radiating the Lord in our life. The godly woman says "YES! Lord, I want to shine on this world, to make you visible and bright in and though my life...to help others better understand your Word and their need of you in their life! Help me illuminate your glory".

Being a light with eternal significance, a light that serve the purpose of our work here on earth for our Creator....

Remember, our message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!~ 2 Cor. 4: 5-12

Messengers illuminating the story of Jesus....

"No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It's put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they're going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don't get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room."
~ Luke 11:33-36

Your eye is a lamp lighting up your whole body...what does your eyes see each day? What substance do you take in to fill your heart in mind? Our vision, our sight feeds into our heart and mind be it good or bad. And though our eyes, our soul can be reflected out.

If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light...do you live in amazement of what our God has done? Of what He is? Of His creation? Of His love? Daily? If we did how would we not illuminate Him?

I was reminded of a picture I took late one night driving home from visiting a patient. The night was dark, not a single star visible in the sky. The road was so long, so incredibly deserted. My headlights illuminated the path I was to take. While the world around me was sleeping, lights dimmed by the late hour and the bodies need for rest, my headlights pierced the darkness.

This picture reflects just how much we can spiritually illuminate this cold dark world. God made the desire of my heart to live a life that would spiritually pierce the darkness of this world. Not in a way to glorify my own journey of restoration and spiritual awakening but to pierce this dark world with the light of His glory, His work in and through my mistakes, my losses and pains. Piercing the dark world with a spiritual illumination that they might know Who they need to fill their life, ease their suffering, satisfy their hunger, heal their pain.

¹ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you--rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

²For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [sweet sister in Christ], and His glory shall be seen on you.

³And [lost souls] shall come to your light, and [broken Christians] to the brightness of your rising.
~ Isaiah 60 (Amplified, personalized)

Spiritual illumination. A godly woman's journey to completeness in Christ. A godly woman's purpose.

Are you illuminating Jesus today?

Father God, Holy and Sovereign Lord, help us to illuminate your goodness in and through our lives. Radiate your love, your healing, your grace and mercy through our living. Be reflective in our actions, our thoughts, our brokenness. May your presence in our life be a sweet aroma that draws others to you. Use us to be glorified in this cold, dark world. We love you Jesus. We are but your vessel...use us.

Living in His Embrace~Pamela