Sunshine and Shadow By Billy Graham “If you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed.” —1 Peter 3:14, NKJV All the masterpieces of painting contain both light and shadow. By them the artist highlights certain features of his subject, and they provide contrast and harmony to reveal beauty or character. A happy life is not one filled only with sunshine, but one that uses both light and shadow to produce beauty. Suffering or persecution can become a blessing because they can form a dark backdrop for the radiance of the Christian life. The greatest musicians as a rule are those who know how to bring song out of sadness. Fanny Crosby, her spirit aglow with faith in Christ, saw more with her sightless eyes than most of us do with normal vision. She gave us some of the great gospel songs that cheer our hearts and lives. Paul and Silas sang a song of praise at midnight in a rat-infested jail in Philippi, their feet in stocks, their backs raw from the jailer’s whip. But their patience in suffering and persecution led to the conversion of the heathen prison warden and his family. Don’t despise the shadows God brings into your life. He can use them to produce a masterpiece. Hope for Today Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery by filling in the cracks with gold or silver. The mended piece is often more beautiful than the original. God takes our brokenness and makes something beautiful. | ||
Billy Graham Minute Whatever challenge you’re facing, God can give you strength to see it through. | ||
Devotion text from Hope for Each Day with Billy Graham, © Billy Graham, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Bible translation used with permission. | ||
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