Light the path
READ: DANIEL 12:1-4 Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever (v. 3).
THE next time you’re gazing into the night sky, consider that the closest star beyond the sun is more than forty trillion kilometers away. To reach that star you’d need to travel at the speed of light for more than four years! Incredibly, we can still see its light from earth.
Scientific data like this wasn’t available when Daniel wrote his book some 2,600 years ago. Our modern-day knowledge, however, heightens the power of his simile in Daniel 12:3: “Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” An expanded way of stating this is: Those who lead many to righteousness will be like bodies in the heavens that shine their light across countless distances, illuminating worlds and providing beacons in the darkness. What a powerful image! Daniel brought God’s message to His people exiled in Babylon, a culture where worshipping God alone could be a life threatening proposition (Daniel 6:1317). The prophet described the mysterious future of the world and encouraged them to see beyond their present troubles while focusing on the lives of others. Two millennia later, I struggle with doing the same things.
It’s encouraging to remember that we’re made right with God — led to righteousness, as Daniel would say—through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-22). His sacrifice and resurrection give us hope for the future the prophet described. By believing in Jesus and reflecting Him we become “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).
Our task today is to illumine the path so others can clearly see Jesus. Instead of being flickering stars, may we radiate the God of light who lives within us by His power (1 John 1:5). — ANDY ROGERS
Our Daily Journey, ©2018 ODB Ministries, 3000, Kraft Ave., SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49555-0001, USA. Used by permission. For this and other materials contact ODB Ministries at 322 P. Guevarra, San Juan City (Phils.); Tel.: 722-2010.