I Am and I Shine (Encouraging Yourself in the Lord)

The Disciple and Apostle John is called “The Revelator” because he was used by God more than any other to reveal who Jesus is. In John chapter 1 he said:

In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, And The Word was God. The Same was in the beginning with God. By Him were all things made, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the Life was the Light of Men…. …..And that Light Shines in darkness but the darkness comprehended it not.

Please notice that in this passage John quickly defines Jesus as:

The Word

God

God from before the beginning

The Maker

The Way that we got here (and by inference, the only way that we’ll safely get out), and

The incomprehensible Light of God

But, what does it mean? What are we to glean from John’s assertion that the marvelous Light of God cannot be comprehended? Let’s look closely at how the Holy Ghost inspired him to write this passage. In every verse of this chapter, John uses the past tense. Each statement is full of the words “was” and “were.” But when attached to the light of Jesus, the only descriptor that would accurately work is the continually present word “shines.” Make no mistake here. If you look in your past, you’ll find Jesus. Shining. But our past cannot contain Him. The word “shines” as used by John is the only way to convey that the light of Jesus never diminishes. It never lets up in intensity. Jesus shines in my past, He shines in my present, He shines right nowin my future. John implies here that Jesus is not only Omnipresent (meaning every “where”) but that He is also Omnitemporal (meaning that He exists in all time simultaneously and also exists outside of the realm of time.) Jesus once told someone who was trying to question Him, “Before Abraham was, I AM”.

When Moses asked the burning bush “who do I say sent me?” the only response was “I AM THAT I AM.”

As Christ said from the burning bush, There is only one who continually is the I AM. As John said from the intro to his gospel, there is only one who continually shines.

Encourage yourself with The Word of the LORD (Jesus). He always is, He always shines. Nothing has ever been able to contain Him. Not the grave. Not time. Not even the Universe itself. He holds all of these in His hands. And our situations? Our problems? Our fears and worries? They won’t be able to darken His Light or contain Him either. Good news! Billions of years from now, at that time and place where we’ve been in Heaven so long that the Devil and our earthly problems aren’t even remembered anymore, Jesus already waits for us. Shining. Gloriously.

Encourage yourself in these words. This loving LORD, Jesus, who is so big, bright and eternal that nothing can contain Him, did design one place that He thought was a perfect fit for Him to stay in: Your heart. I know, I know. I can’t understand it either, But Lord!, does it ever give me hope.

Pastor Ed Brewer