Living in the light of Christ

"And God said, 'Let there be light'" (Genesis 1:3). From the beginning, God's light brought life and fruitfulness to the earth. Ask any gardener. Without sufficient sunlight, plants struggle to flourish. Most fruit trees need six to eight hours of direct sunlight to produce abundant fruit. In deep shade, they expend their energy stretching towards the light rather than bearing fruit. God has set eternity in our hearts, awakening a longing to know Him and experience His love. Jesus declares: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NKJV). Only by abiding in Christ can we bear the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul reminds us: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8, NIV). He calls us to turn away from fruitless deeds of darkness and allow Christ's light to transform our hearts. "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14, NIV). My prayer is that the Sun of Righteousness will shine upon our hearts each day, drawing us out of the darkness and into His life-transforming light. (Nicky B). Open Bible – bit.ly/Gen1v3-5, bit.ly/joh15v5, bit.ly/Eph5v8, bit.ly/eph5v14