March 23, 2005	Read 2 Corinthians 4: 1-15
“For it is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (v. 6)
LET LIGHT SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to encourage the people in their ministry and told them not to lose heart. The minds of the unbelievers had been blinded by worldly gods to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel in the glory of Christ. How easy it has always been to be distracted by earthly pursuits and the gods of wealth and power. As I struggled to write this, it became clear that I must pray for God to shine in my heart to help me write a message to share. As a child, I did not have the advantage of going to church, so it was a new experience for me when a neighbor began taking me to Sunday School and church. I was almost 11 years old and quite eager to go with her. Before that, it could have been said that I was in the dark concerning knowledge of God. How thankful I am for that neighbor who helped bring the light of God into my life. In Verse 7, “treasure in clay jars” refers to the weakness of our bodies and to our limitations. The power belongs to God and does not come from us. We believe and so we are to speak out and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. Even in the midst of troubles, God gives us the Light of his glory in the face of Jesus.   God of light and power, shine into our hearts to give us faith and courage to reach out to all who are in need of your grace. Amen Barbara Lee

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