The light from which nothing is hidden
by Margaret Silvester
In Salisbury Cathedral there is a striking display which was put in the Cathedral for Pentecost. It is of large terracotta figures representing the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. Each figure supports a primitive oil lamp backed by a halo of beaten metal, which reflects a pulsating light. The display is most thought provoking. Each disciple has an individual light representing the light of God’s presence. The lights spoke to me of the holiness, awesomeness and power of God in the life of weak, sinful, ordinary people who are illuminated by Him.
I guess we all want to experience God’s blessing. That is what He promises to those who welcome Him, praise Him and walk in the light of His presence, as today’s verse says. God is light, unsullied and undiluted. In Him there is no darkness at all, so it is impossible for us to be deliberately walking in any degree of darkness and have fellowship with Him. Light represents what is good, true and holy and darkness represents what is evil and false. Walking in light and walking in darkness represent two lifestyles and there is no middle lane. There are no twilight zones with God! There is absolutely no possibility that we can live a compromise existence with one foot in the light with God and the other in the darkness of the world.
To walk in the light of God’s presence means to live in a place of intimacy with Him. In His presence nothing is hidden – He searches the heart and sees every motive. He knows every thought and emotion. Self- sufficiency, self-centredness and self-dependence are not conducive to the nature of light, because light shows all sin for what it really is. The light of God pierces our darkness unless we deliberately shut it out. It even exposes the hidden things that we might want to hide from ourselves. "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence" (Psalm 90:8)
In the New Testament, walking in the light is directly connected to relinquishing sin and following Jesus who said “He who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” When this amazing truth of walking in the light of God’s presence is revealed to us, we will live life with nothing held back and nothing hidden. The love of God working in us will cause us to hate sin, because it is only sin that will keep us from His holiness. We will have an instinct for the light and will gladly open up every inch of our being to God’s scrutiny.
We who belong to Him who is light, not only have our lives illuminated by Him, but in the power of the Holy Spirit we can be the means of introducing that light in the darkness around us.
Prayer: Father, give me grace today to allow you to search the inner recesses of my heart. Let your light shine into any hidden darkness and reveal it for what it is, so that I may walk freely and joyfully in the light of your presence in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God. Margaret`s book "Stepping Stones to the Father Heart of God" has recently been published.
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