I was at the DMV when I realized times had changed. I could not make out the teeny tiny letters on the bottom line of the eye exam chart. I’d always had perfect vision, so I grumbled quite a bit when my husband drove me to the optometrist office a few weeks later. I wanted to be that girl who with sparkly eyes who would shine on brightly, but apparently I was going blind instead.

The young eye doctor dilated my pupils and crouched down to take a deep look into the back of my eye. “Are you experiencing any headaches?” she asked.

She seemed surprised when I said no. Then, she left the room, and another doctor with gray hair and more years of experience marched in with a concerned look on his face. He picked up a lens, shined a bright light right at my baby blues, and spent what seemed like an eternity making an assessment.

“Are you experiencing any headaches?” he asked. Apparently, my super-sized optic nerve was waving a big red flag of alarm. I ended up visiting two other doctor’s offices that same day – including a neurologist.

The neurologist ordered a spinal tap. One week later, I donned a hospital robe and waited in a cold, sterile room for a doctor to insert a needle into my vertebrae.

I don’t like needles of any kind. To help calm my nerves and quiet my racing thoughts, I brought along a dozen or so yellowing 3 x 5 cards with Scriptures on them. I quietly rehearsed the verses over and over again as I waited:

• “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7, NKJV).
• “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
• “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17).
• “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

As I flipped through the cards, the doctor walked in to begin the procedure. “Are you studying for a test?”

“Yes, I guess I am sort of studying for a test.” I smiled in reply. I explained to the doctor the sacred words scrawled in my sloppy handwriting on these cards reminded me that my God was in control of today’s procedure.

That day, I unexpectedly let my little light shine in a doctor’s office. This season of life has provided many more obstacles that have transformed into opportunities to shine on brightly for my Savior.

Rather than become a recluse filled with regret, choose to use each moment of your today to radiate. Redeem every moment. Matthew 5 reminds us: “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven” (vs. 14-16, MSG).

Open up the doors and let the light shine on, sisters. 

Sometimes the darkness in this sin-saturated world seems all-encompassing, and we feel powerless to overcome the sorrow and despair. But, because our God is greater than all the gloom, we can count on this promise: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5, NLT)

The Light of the world has come, and we always have hope — even when we feel lost and are struggling to see our next step. Jesus has overcome the darkness of sin and death, and His Spirit now dwells in us.

God’s light always accompanies and shows us the way to go. When the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, the glory of the Lord went before them and followed after them on their journey. He blazed the pathway with His presence, protected them, and never left them alone.

Friend, this unchanging God is your God. He will illuminate your path “step by step” as you move forward in faith. The Almighty wants to reveal His glory to you and help you see more clearly just how awesome He is.

As you and I look to Him, the light of His love will transform us from within. Then, with His fire burning in our hearts, we have the privilege of radiating His love to brighten up this world.

Are you ready to arise and shine?

Spend 30 days challenging yourself to SEE, SEEK, and SHINE:   

SEE:

Ask yourself: What else does God have to say about this Truth?

We’ll look at relevant passages that tie into each day’s theme and dig a little deeper into the principle God wants to impress on our hearts.

SEEK:

Ask yourself: How should this Truth impact my daily life?

We’ll consider a practical step we can take to live out the Biblical principle we’ve learned.

SHINE:

Ask yourself: Who do I know that needs to hear this message?

We’ll challenge ourselves to carry the light of God’s Truth to someone who needs to receive Him.

This Bible study course will  help you discover practical ways to live out your faith and share the Good News with your friends, family, and neighbors. You’ll get a study journal with a daily devotional and journaling page plus a weekly video teaching.   

In 2024, we completed 8 Bible studies on Substack. To God be the glory!

This year, we will be rolling out all of our completed studies as self-paced courses on Thinkific. For every Wildfire Faith Bible Study Course, you will get a PDF download of the study journal plus a video teaching for each week. 

 This is a great resource for your small group, Sunday school class, or for personal study.  

 If you just want to grab a copy of the devotionals and reading plan for your quiet time and skip the video teachings, you can purchase a copy of just the study journal as a PDF download in our Bible Study Shop.