RENEW REFRESH REFOCUS
CASNFCI SCRIPTURE
& PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Look to Jesus!
who being the brightness of His glory and the
express image of His person, ... — Hebrews 1:3.
The
Greek word “brightness” or “radiance” here means “shining forth, flashing
forth” — like the rays of the sun. Some years back I committed myself to Sun
hunting. My target was to get a picture of the Sun as it rises from the east in
the early hours of the morning. It is truly a beautiful view as it rises with
such brightness. But when it has fully appeared it can be really difficult to fix
your eyes on it. Many of us wear sunglasses to help deflect the brilliant
sunlight. Sometimes the sunglasses don’t even help much. When we look straight
into the sun, its brilliance can be blinding, but the beautiful, clear light
radiating from the sun also helps us see the things around us. Sunlight also
radiates heat, warming the earth each day as it gives light to plants and for
growing food. We cannot separate the radiating light and heat from the sun;
these properties always go together with sunlight for our life here on Earth.
Similarly,
we cannot separate Jesus, the Son of God, from God himself. Hebrews says, “The
Son is the radiance of God’s glory ...”. Then it says He is also “the express
image of His person” or “the exact representation of His nature”. The Bible's
word for “exact representation” (charakter) was originally used as a tool used
for engraving, and then it came to mean a stamp or impress used on a coin or
seal. When you imprint something, the exact image of the original is imprinted
on it. The Bible says THAT is what Jesus is. Colossians 1:15 says He “is the
image of the invisible God”; the perfect “imprint” of God. Again, we can’t
“see” God; He’s invisible;
but Jesus is the visible image we can see of God.
The bottom line here is that if
you are looking for God today, you don’t need to look any further than Jesus. Look to Jesus!
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the light of the world. Like
you, make us shine forth this light in the darkness for your glory. In Jesus’
name Amen.
Rev. Isaac G. Y Bangalu
Founder & CE
Couples & Singles Network for Christ Initiative
