As I write the initial entry of my blog it seems suitable to explain the reason why Proverbs 4:18 is shown as the theme. This verse impacted me because in a beautiful and simple visual symbol it describes so much of the deepest struggles of my heart. My hope is that through writing down the insight I receive I will bring clarity to my own thoughts and offer something of value to my reader.
The first thing to consider is the question: Who is the righteous? To answer that most accurately we should turn to see what the scriptures tell us are the characteristics or marks of a righteous person. So as follows: The righteous man is a good man (Proverbs 2:20), her way is known by God (Psalm 1:6), he walks with God (Genesis 6:9), God is with her (Psalm 14:5), God blesses his dwelling (Proverbs 3:33), the desire of the righteous is only good (Proverbs 11:23) and I could surely go on. At first glance and then even with careful consideration this list is overwhelming. We should rightly ask: Who is like this, surely not I? The answer to this question is the story of the Bible. And Jesus is the centre of that story.
Simply put, no one is righteous and everyone deserves destruction for outright and universal rebellion. Although that may be an unpopular idea, if we referenced many of the verses that surround the above texts, we would see that the Bible describes the righteous and also describes the unrighteous in equal detail (Psalm 1:4-6). But God, in His infinite love, came to earth as the man Jesus Christ and took upon Himself, for all who put their trust in Him, the punishment they otherwise would have been served (1 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 13:5). The Bible teaches that true belief in Jesus is accompanied by new spiritual life and a future hope of eternal life and happiness (Colossians 3:3,4).
It is this new life which is being compared to the light of dawn. This picture makes so much sense to me because when I first was given the new life, both to me and to those around me, nothing seemed different. But now, I see there were early signs of daylight. A hint of light crept in against the darkness of my life. The great reassurance which this passage gives is that just like the first light appearing when the sun begins to rise, there will be a gradual change in the person who trusts in Jesus.
Where does this dawning of new life take a person; you might ask? Well, that will be the subject of future posts as we explore the incredible brilliance of “the full day”. I hope you will join me.
