Daily Devotion – February 11, 2021 – The Rev. Kathleen Panning
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (NRSV)
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Devotion
Unbelief is described by Paul as like a veil pulled over our hearts and minds by “the god of this world,” Satan, who blinds us to the light of God’s love in Jesus. Paul may perhaps be thinking here of his own conversion experience on the Road to Damascus and likening the revelation of Christ to him as similar to God’s creation of light at the beginning of creation.
I have not had a Damascus Road kind of experience. That may be true for you too. Yet, the very fact that we do believe is indication of the power of God working in us so that we have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shown to us in the face of Jesus Christ. Our joy is that we get to be reflectors of that light every time we pass on the good news of God’s love in Jesus to others.
Prayer
God of light may the light of your love dispel every speck of darkness in our hearts and minds that we might more fully reflect your light into the dark places of this world. Amen.