The Best Is Yet To Come (Part 2)

The Best Is Yet To Come (part 2)

by Jon Essen

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,That shines brighter and brighter…” (Proverbs 4:18)

Last week, we talked about learning to overcome fear with faith; when we live this way it creates a platform for us to experience a deeper relationship with God. This is the starting point for great things in our lives.

Jesus came to give us what He described as “life more abundant” (John 10:10). It’s awesome to realize God’s desire for us is to have a fulfilling and overflowing life. But He also promised us ”in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).

Our desire to run away from challenges might actually limit God’s capacity to be revealed through us. I’m often reminded of this lesson from my kids.

My three children love to play hide and seek with me. This classic game goes to another level when I bring out the flashlight. I think all kids love flashlights. They love to repeatedly press the button and turn it on and off, they shine it in each other’s eyes and they pretend it’s a light-saber from Star Wars. However, a flashlight doesn’t demonstrate its worth in a well-lit room. It’s not until daddy says they can go hide in the closet, the pantry or a dark bedroom and then its purpose is shown as it pierces the darkness and reveals what is hidden.

Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Just like you don’t notice flashlights in a lit room, it’s hard to recognize followers of Christ who don’t shine their light in darkness. We live in a world that is filled with darkness and all of us encounter it in some way: violence, hatred, anger, lust, greed, poverty, disease...the list goes on. But as powerful as this darkness may often appear, there’s a promise from God that gives us the hope to overcome. We don’t have to fear the darkness we should see it as an opportunity for the light of God to shine through us.

John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (NLT)

Whenever darkness rushes in, it’s the perfect opportunity to stand strong and reveal God, not run away in fear. With all of the instability and uncertainty happening around us, there has never been a greater time to shine and deliver hope to the world. And we don’t have to be perfect in order to do so! God isn’t looking for perfect people, He’s looking for willing people that want to make Him known.

If our desire is simply that life would get easier or be absent of conflict, then as we move forward in our journey with the Lord, we will become more confused and powerless because we are missing the point of why we exist. Jesus put the hope of revealing His glory into our hands.

That may make us nervous when we first think about it, but it’s not about us -- it’s all about Him working through us. Jesus is constantly interceding on our behalf to God the Father, in order that we, as His body, can overcome darkness and accomplish God’s will here on earth.

But even when we fail or fall short of the mark, God gives us incredible grace to get up and press on towards our goal. Micah 7:8 says, “Do not rejoice over me my enemy, for though I have fallen, I will rise, and though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”

Today is a new day filled with an abundance of God’s mercy and grace to enable us to face any challenge that comes our way.

The enemy will do everything he can to discourage us and fill us with fear. But we can overcome if we focus on two things: trusting God in faith and consistently shining our light in the darkness.

The best is yet to come, which doesn’t mean there won’t be any more dark days ahead. It just means that our light can shine brighter than ever through love and action.

We couldn’t have asked for a better time in which to live!

This Week Continually cultivate faith and expectancy in your heart that God will use you as His agent of change and be light right in the midst of darkness. Don’t allow fear, failure or negative circumstances to discourage you from the joy or opportunity of expressing God’s love to others around you. Make the choice to be an encourager!

Prayer "Jesus, thank you for choosing me to be your messenger of love and hope to the world. Open my eyes to the ongoing opportunities you have for me to be a blessing and light in someone else’s life.”

In addition to helping Life Outreach through creative communications, Jon Essen is a worship pastor/songwriter at Milestone Church in Keller, Texas. His passion is to be a catalyst for offering Jesus as the hope for a better life.