Dear Faith Family, 

And no wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light, (2 Corinthians 11:14). 

Television?  Off.  Lights?  Out.  Doors?  Locked.  Wait a second.  I don’t think the garage door is shut.  Garage door?  Not shut.  Do you hear that?  What’s that buzzing noise in the garage?  Don’t shut the door.  Oh no!  It’s a hummingbird! 

Poor little bird.  The ceiling in the garage is much higher than the garage door opening.  And it was dark outside.  I know I’ll turn on the outside lights and turn off the garage lights.  The bird will see the light outside and leave the garage.  Sounds like a great idea, right?  I thought so.  Apparently, the hummingbird thought otherwise.  Seeing the white ceiling in the garage and the white drywall in the garage, the hummingbird paid no attention to the actual light outside of the garage. 

How many times have we been deceived by the angel of light and his disguises?!  Maybe we’ve seen the characterizations of the devil as dressed in red with red horns?  Would that it were so.  At least then we might recognize his presence and his schemes.  Unfortunately, like the hummingbird, we are often drawn to something that looks like the light.  Need some examples? 

Are you ever tempted to put another person in the place of God?  What do you mean?  My spouse, my children, or my best friend can make me secure.  They can become the source of my identity.  My position, yea that’s the light.  It can become the source of my significance.  And what about my accomplishments?  Do you know what I’ve done?!  And we all know that security blossoms in what we own (houses, cars, outfits, property, retirement accounts, etc.). 

Ever feel like that hummingbird bumping up against the artificial light?  Maybe you’ve seen behind the disguise?  Frustrated?  Disappointed?  Defeated?  My only hope is that the hummingbird will eventually discover the undisguised light.  That the light outside of his little world (the garage) will prove brighter, more beautiful, and more desirable than the disguises that have held it captive. 

Isn’t that a simple reality for us too?  When Jesus, our Christ, is brighter, more beautiful, and more desirable than the disguises that hold us captive, we will release the chains that we have held captive.  Today, in His written Word, discover anew the brightness and the beauty of Jesus, your Christ!  May God increase our desire for the Light of the world! 

Behold the Light of the world, 

Pastor Karl