Shine: Being His Light in Darkness

Book excerpt: When we look around at the darkness of this world, it's hard to see the light. Jesus declared, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Yet, Jesus is no longer in the world. In fact, it's been over two thousand years since He's walked this earth. So where is the light now? The truth is that it's in us. As said in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world.” Shine is an eight-week study into this truth―into identifying the One True Light and learning how to shine brighter for Him. God's light reveals truth, draws others, and exposes sin, and our own light works to do the same. However, it is not so easy because it's a fight against fear, selfishness, apathy, and the harmful impulse to hide one's personal light. The very concept of light is seen all throughout Scripture, blooming with the first verses of Genesis and concluding with the last verses of Revelation, and it is through this that Shine sheds its own light onto God's Word. Rebecca J. Nolley utilizes compassion and inspiration to explore the significance of walking forward as beacons of light and the valuable message that when we shine the light of Jesus into the lives of others, more people will turn to Him, and He will be further glorified. Shine begins and ends its study with the Giver of Light and the simple truth that it is through Him and by Him we are able to shine.