23
Jul '19
You’re Shining for Jesus Wherever You Are
23
Jul '19
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
The news headlines drifted in from the living room as I sat at my desk. The story of yet another tragedy contrasted so sharply with what I was writing that I stopped, sighed and leaned back in my chair. A sense of despair washed over me.
“Lord,” I silently prayed, “is there anything I can do about the darkness in this world? It seems so overwhelming.”
I sensed a gentle whisper within my heart replying, “The only way to get rid of the darkness is to add more light.”
Darkness is the absence of light. Trying to go after it directly is like chasing your shadow. You can’t bag it up and throw it away. Only light is powerful enough to make the darkness disappear. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that we are the light of the world. We are called to shine. But the light we share is not our own.
From the very beginning of creation, God has been the source of light both spiritually and literally. Genesis 1:2b-3 says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Imagine a world full of darkness. Then with four small words, light blazes forth. Every living thing in our world relies on light for its existence – plants, animals and people. The God who brought light to the world also brings it to our lives. As 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts”. . .
The best part of all is that we don’t have to be like the light bulb that said, “I have to find a way to shine!” The light bulb went to a self-help meeting to learn about its inner capacity for light. It read books about how to get brighter. Each morning the light bulb would get up and recite positive affirmations. “I am a light bulb. I believe in myself. I will shine!” But nothing happened.
Eventually the light bulb became weary and discouraged. It began to doubt who it was and what it could do. It almost burned out completely. Fortunately, one day the light bulb was carefully placed in a fixture. Light burst forth and filled the room. The light bulb finally understood. The key was not to try harder but to plug into the source.
Trying to shine on our own can be exhausting. Instead, we’re simply called to be closely connected to God and remain in Him. When we do, His light pours forth through us in powerful, brilliant ways that change the world. The ways we shine might not make the news, but they make even more of a difference than we can see.
Lord, thank You for being the light within us so we can shine brightly for the world around us. When it seems darkness is crowding in, use us to make a difference. We ask that You will help us share Your love, joy and peace. You are the hope we need and the One light that will never burn out, be overcome or fade away. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
After reading this I truly don’t know what more to add so I will leave you with this and pray it blesses and strengthens someone today who may be struggling to shine on there own. Be the light that helps others see. John 8:12 says, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Matthew 19:14
16
Oct '18
Twinkle
16
Oct '18
Shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ . . . (Philippians 2:15-16)
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is an English lullaby. Its lyrics, originally a poem by Jane Taylor, capture the wonder of God’s universe where stars hang “up above the world so high.” In the rarely published later stanzas, the star acts as a guide: “As your bright and tiny spark lights the traveler in the dark.”
In Philippians, Paul challenges believers in Philippi to be blameless and pure as they “shine . . . as lights in the world” while offering the good news of the gospel to all around them (2:15–16). We wonder how we can shine like stars. We often feel inadequate and struggle to think our “light” is bright enough to make a difference. But stars don’t try to be stars. They just are. Light changes our world. And it changes us. God brought physical light into our world (Genesis 1:3); and through Jesus, God brings spiritual light into our lives (John 1:1–4).
We who have God’s light in us are to shine in such a way that those around us see light and are drawn to its source. As effortlessly as a star hanging in the night sky, our light makes a difference because of what it is: Light! When we simply shine, we follow Paul’s directive to “hold forth to the word of life” in a world in deep darkness, and we draw others to the source of our hope: Jesus.
Dear God, may Your light shine out of the very cracks of our beings as we hold out the Word of life to others. Amen.
This devotion blessed me. Today let’s choose to allow our lights to shine so bright so we, as today’s devotions says, draw others to the source of our hope: Jesus. Let your light so shine today and watch others be drawn to that light.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Hebrews 10:23