Shine on those living in Darkness

This morning Zechariah's song in Luke 1:67-79 spoke to me.

Zechariah's song starts by praising the Lord because He has come and has redeemed His people.

He goes on to describe this redemption as "salvation from our enemies, to show mercy, to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear."

I related to Zechariah in this description because I've always felt that is what Christ did for me. I felt rescued by Him. I felt mercy, which led to feeling enabled to serve. I was empowered to serve Him because of my gratitude towards his mercy, because of appreciation for my rescuer, because of intense passion to share this offering with others. I wanted to share something that was so rich in sheer goodness. 

Zechariah's song goes on to acknowledge that after we experience this mercy and we are enabled, then we will be called to go on and prepare the way for the Lord. We are to do this by: giving people the knowledge of His salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, then shine on those living in darkness, and to guide our feet into the path of peace.

I'm so encouraged and challenged by this text. It is always encouraging to me to find a passage in Scripture where I can identify with a character's feelings..I love connecting to the Word like that. But It is also a challenge that motivates me to remember daily what the heart of Jesus' teachings were really about. He truly is calling us to love...

But this call to love is not a feeling or a mere expression. This is a call to action.
We are to "shine on those living in darkness." That is big stuff right there. Those are deep images to live out.

Hopefully you all find this challenging, encouraging, and even more. :)
Happy day, all!