Friday, July 17, 2026
The Kingdom of Light Submitted by Kay Crumley
Are we living in the Kingdom of Light or the Kingdom of Darkness? We learned in John 8:2 that Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the World. Then we can choose to live in the Kingdom He established or to live in the darkness of the sinful world.
The prophet Isaiah is warning Judah about the coming invasion of Assyria and the darkness that will follow as they live in oppression. However, he assured the people who were first invaded by the Assyrians, Galilee, that they would be the first to see a great light.
Isaiah 9:2 - The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. The light is the Messiah as revealed in Matthew 4. Jesus began His ministry around the Sea of Galilee.
John teaches that Jesus was with God in the beginning. He is the creator. He brought life into the world. The life He gives is the Light of men.
John 1:5 - That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
The truth of God shines through Jesus into the darkness of this sinful world. The good news is that that darkness didn’t win, the Light overcame the darkness.
Jesus is teaching His followers as they were seated on the mountain. He uses common things to demonstrate their purpose among the sinful culture. He tells them they are the salt of the earth. Salt was precious in that culture; it was a preservative. We have the key to the ultimate life preservation through Jesus. He also likened them to light. Light is critical to our safety in a city.
Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.
Because the Light of the world lives in us, since the Holy Spirit lives in us we have everything we need to lead others to Him. The light of a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Our influence cannot be hidden as we point others to Him.
God revealed the wonder of the new heaven and new earth to John in the Book of Revelation. He didn’t see a temple because the Lord God Almighty and Jesus the Lamb of God are the temple. The Light of the world is the Light of Heaven.
Revelation 21:23 - The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
One day we will be in His presence, and the Light will be God’s Glory through Jesus the Lamb. We will no longer fight the darkness of the present earth. Light is joy, beauty, and knowledge. We no longer lack anything.
In the model prayer Jesus said, ‘Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven’. We have access to His Kingdom on earth because we have Him in our lives. We can choose to live with our focus on Him or on the world.
To live in the Kingdom of Light we must start our day by noticing His presence, Holy Awareness. We speak to Him honestly, sharing our heart as we trust Him in Prayer. Trusting His guidance, we are led to Cooperate with Him as we follow His plan and purpose for us. We are not alone; He is with us and gives us Community with fellow believers who share our hearts and mission. Your brain changes when you live awake to God’s reality. Science reveals that your brain literally rewires itself around what you pay attention to. Living in the Light alters how we think, live, and navigate life in this sinful world.
