Living Lamp

Proverb 20: 27         TPT

The spirit God breathed into man is like a living lamp, a shining light, searching into the inner most chamber of our being.

There is so much in this little verse I hardly know where to begin, but let us begin with breath.

The beginning of this verse is the Genesis story of the creation of humans. God breathed life into us. He breathed a bit of Himself into us and we came into being as spirit beings. There is much to be appreciated in a discussion about God and breath as well. You can search the Word of the Day online at Ivey Ministries for some insightful ideas. Here is one titled Creative Breath which will get you started.

The spiritual breath is only the beginning to understanding this verse. It is the foundation, but I want to move on to the idea of the lamp. When we understand that the spirit of a person began with the Spirit of God layers of revelation unfold before us. Of course, the spirit is like a lamp or a shining light. I cannot separate in my own mind the spirit of the person from the Spirit of God. Going forward from that premise, I am reminded that Jesus is the light (John 8: 12). The light shines bringing everything into the light, even the darkest recesses of our being.

I am amused at myself often. One of the humorous bits is that in my past I thought I could hide something from God. He inhabits my innermost being and illuminates every space. Darkness cannot survive where there is God. We try to keep God out of some of the sensitive spots, rooms where we tend to leave the light off. These are usually rooms where we house our hurt and/or our insecurities. The really funny thing is that when we expose them to God, He isn’t surprised. This great revelation is anything but for Him. Second, it is in the invitation for God to enter these forsaken chambers that healing occurs. In truth, it is from ourselves we attempt to hide the truth. We cannot hide from Yahweh because He is that shining lamp within us. When we finally stop running, we can, ourselves, take a deep breath of healing.

Some people may find the thought that God illuminates every chamber of our being uncomfortable. I find it comforting, but I didn’t always. Now knowing that He is occupying even the spaces I may not be ready to confront reassures me that I am fully in His hands. His intimate knowledge of all of me allows Him to lead me in ways that I may not understand but which are for my ultimate good. There is nothing I can hide from the Father and that is okay because He even takes my ugliness and turns it to good. So, let the light shine!