December Memory Verse (2021)
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

WOW, what a way to start the day! Our God is declaring that if we are His followers and believe in Him, His light will forever shine in our hearts; we will know Him and seek His glory as reflected in the face of His Son, our Lord Jesus.

The Apostle Paul was writing to the church in Corinth because there was division within the church. Christian leaders and ministers were manipulating the Scripture to motivate their followers or promote their personal views. It was important that “we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). Paul was reinforcing God’s words found in Genesis 1:3, “Let there be light.”

We all have had bad times in our lives — sickness, failure, sin, disgrace, broken relationships — which caused darkness in our hearts. But our God knows us intimately; He knows about these dark times and has willingly provided light to shine out through that darkness. Only through our faith in Him and our desire and commitment to live our lives knowing and sharing His glory can we be assured that the light He promised is shining on “the face of Christ.”

My most recent experience of personally seeing His light was when I attended the Great Banquet our church hosts yearly. I had struggled with trying to forgive something a fellow employee had done to me, and for years I continued to harbor anger against that person. During the Great Banquet, His light shined on me, and my God gave me the chance to forgive the person. He removed the darkness created by my inability to clear this matter from my heart and led me to trust in Him to handle it for me.

Next time you turn on the light in a dark room, watch a stunning sunrise, or get in a car at night and turn the headlights on, think about this verse. Allow Paul’s words reverberate in your heart, and feel the intimacy of God’s glory made real by the love He has for you.

by Elder Dave Nichols