Journey to Living Light: 31 Christ-Light Devotionals

By Dr. Martha Toney and Shirley Veater

Journey to Living Light is a 31-day devotional designed to enhance the reader’s growth and depth in their relationship with Christ. This book also is a wonderful asset for any Pastor or Priest for Advent or any other part of the Church Calendar.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664237841

Dr. Martha Toney

The Rev. Dr. Martha Toney is a native of Spartanburg, S.C. Martha’s early life was spent as a professional opera singer, both in New York City and eleven years in Hof Theatre, Hof, Germany. Dr. Toney holds a Doctor of Ministry in Theological and Biblical Studies from the Graduate Theological Foundation, as well as a Master of Ministry from Southern Wesleyan University and a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. Martha is a board-Certified Chaplain, holding 6 units of Clinical Pastoral Education. She was also personally trained by John Maxwell as a certified public speaker. In 2014, Martha was ordained as Deacon by Bishop Greg Brewer in the Diocese of Central Florida. Much of her last ten years has been spent at the bed-side of Hospital and Hospice patients, and it is these defining experiences that qualifies Dr. Toney to write on personal need for “Light,” the everlasting Light of Christ. In this world today, everyone needs an anchor, and this book, “Journey to Living Light” is a great place to begin a personal journey towards the Light of the World, Jesus. Dr. Toney may be reached at [e-mail] For information on Dr. Toney’s book, Journey to Daybreak please go to www.marthatoney.com

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Copyright © 2021 The Rev. Dr. Martha Toney.

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Cover artwork by:

Shirley Veater

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Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from Revised

Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of

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Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3783-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3784-1 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/8/2021

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Martha Toney

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the workings of his great power. Ephesians 1:17-19 NRSV

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOR JOURNEY TO LIVING LIGHT

The writing of this manuscript could not have made it to completion without the incredible loyalty of Vickie Holt and Edna Ellison. Their tireless devotion, love and kindness in editing and correcting were exemplary. To my life long best friend, Rita Golden, who generously and patiently listened to every devotional. And thanks to those who took time out of their busy schedules to endorse this book: Kristi Alday, Ronda Adams and Jane Klaviter. Last but not least, I thank all of the staff of Westbow Press who were top notch professionals in bringing Journey to Living Light to its final work. God Bless all of you for your time and efforts.

Martha Toney

INTRODUCTION

So much has been written on the subject of Light that this author felt a bit intimidated to even make a stab at approaching this universal theme. C.S. Lewis was fascinated with the subject of light throughout many of his volumes of work. One of Lewis’ short stories called The Man Born Blind is a magnificent piece that explores the theme through a man named Robin. Robin was blind, only to regain his sight during an operation. There is not a definitive interpretation of this short story, but the gist of the story is that Robin was very hungry to know not only why light helped him to see, but also how he could know light directly. Who or what was Light? At the end of his search, Robin ends up jumping off a cliff looking for this light. One interpreter felt this meant that Robin jumped off into the arms of God. Lewis leaves room for each person to find his own interpretation.

The Light theme runs from Genesis’ creation to the end of Revelation, and finally to heaven where God Himself is the Light eternally. His Son is the Lamb who was sent as the Light of the World.

It is the aim and hope for this short book to explore the spiritual themes of light as they apply to our everyday walk with God. May the book help inspire the reader’s desire to not only enjoy the myriad blessings of God, but may it also, like Robin, create within the reader the hunger and desire to know more and more the joy of an intimate relationship with the Light who has come into the world to light every person.

May each of us, also like Robin, jump out in full abandonment into the arms of God, as we by faith walk by the Light of his Son. May we lose all fear, learn to trust and then actually set out to be obedient to that light which God reveals in each of our lives.

There will always be periods of time when all appears dark, bleak and hopeless. This was true for thousands of years before the birth of Jesus. And for 400 years from the close of the Old Testament canon with the book of Malachi, until the opening of the New Testament with the Gospel of Matthew, God’s people believed the ancient prophecies of old. However, when the Messiah arrived, they did not know him. When God appears to us in His light of love after our long days of bleak winters, may we have faith that he will come to save; he will come to redeem, and may we never lose sight of what his light can do when he arrives.

"And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for

the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

Revelation 21:23

PREFACE

Every Christian has a theology or belief about who God is, whether forged at birth or developed through his or her life experiences. Spiritual journeys may start out with a set of beliefs and end up with another set, if not at least altered by time’s rude hand (Henry Kirke White).

However, the basic question almost always longing to be answered in the human soul is, What will it take to make my soul feel at peace? Then the journey sets out to find whatever that is, usually running through several venues of fame, money, people, and countless other possible answers. The Christian faith declared 2000 or more years ago that there is an answer to that existential question of where peace is found. The answer, according to the Holy Book, is found in a person, Jesus Christ, born of Mary in the fullness of time. The faith also declares that while Jesus is the person, peace also has a home; that home is in the human heart.

This book is about the journey of the soul to the Prince of Peace. No one has been able to say it better than Charles Spurgeon in his writings on the Incarnation:

"The first link between