Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and it’s time for "Joni and Friends."
As always, I sure am grateful for these few minutes you choose to spend with me, because you know how much I love passing on things that God keeps showing me from His Word and from this wheelchair. And you know you don’t have to have a disability to receive the encouragement on this program, right? Well, today I heard an encouraging word that I’d like to pass on to you; it’s the word “bioluminescence.” Now, don’t go grabbin’ for a dictionary, let me explain …
You see, I recall times when I’ve been at the ocean, maybe during twilight, and as I’ve sat on the beach watching waves roll in, sometimes in the curl of the wave you see a green glow. It doesn’t happen often, and it all depends on the time of evening and the tide and currents, but occasionally you can see the glow of plankton (those little microscopic organisms that kind of glow in the dark); they let off an iridescent green. I recall as a kid camping by the Delaware shore and, during certain times of the summer, during the evening, the waves rolling in, the undersides of them would almost be bright glowing from so much plankton, because plankton glows in the dark—it has that quality of bioluminescence. And what does bioluminescence mean? Well, get this … it literally means life that glows. Isn’t that amazing? And I hope you can see the connection here for you as a Christian, right?
Because in a way, we have life that glows, we have bioluminescence. Followers of Jesus are supposed to glow and wear that glow … in the dark. We all know that the Bible calls Jesus the Light of the World and He came into this dark world to shine His light—light that was the life of men, but then in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus turns around and says to us, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Right there you have it, friend: we are to glow in the dark. And much like anything that has bioluminescence, we can only do that as we spend time in the sunshine of the light of Christ. Fail to spend time with Him, fail to expose ourselves to the Son and, well … when it’s dark there’s no glow. But as we do, we have life that glows, and this dark world can’t help but see it.
So in a way, I hope this little story about plankton and bioluminescence encourages you to open up yourself to the warmth and the sunshine rays of God's Word today. Spend time with the Savior, because as you do, when things get dark you’ll be able to have a life that glows. You will be able to shine truth that can’t help but transform—or, at least, convict—the darkness in the hearts of people around you, or even truth that dissipates the darkness of discouragement or doubt in the lives of weaker Christians that you know. Remember, you are the Light of the World and that light was never meant to be hidden – so take a little biology lesson today. Maybe if you live near the seashore, some evening go out, turn the headlights of your car off, walk out onto the beach and just see if those waves are glowing with that bioluminescence. Let it be a reminder to you to let it shine before everyone you come across in the dark that they might see a life that glows and praise the Father in heaven.
© Joni and Friends, 2013
Compliments of Joni and Friends
PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376