"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
In the Old Testament, the Prophets were God’s light, His spokespeople for letting the world know specifically how to relate to Him. In the New Testament, Jesus lived out the actual reconciliation between God and man when He died for our sin and rose again in victory. At Jesus’ ascension, He is clear that with the Holy Spirit’s power within all of us (not just a few – as was the case with the Old Testament prophets), it is now our responsibility to be God’s spokespeople. As Jesus is the Light of the world, our lives must reflect that light, pointing the way to Him.
We all have our own little corner on this planet – a circle of family and friends, colleagues and a community in which we live. I don’t live in your corner, so it is up to you to be God’s light to the lives you touch. The same is true for me, as I try to reflect God’s light in my “corner” of Michigan.
There are lots of ways that light illumines our world. Maybe you will see yourself as one of these lights – or all of them, at one time or another. Candlelight - that warm glow of friendship. A flashlight - a small beam of light along a narrow path. Headlights - that find clear passage on a dark road. A light house - guiding ships home from a stormy sea. Starlight - that cheers a lonely soul. Sunshine - that floods the day with goodwill. Or Moonshine - that lets us see at night.
Think of the moon, it is a dead piece of rock, with no energy source of its own. When it is in the right position, it reflects the sun’s light so brilliantly that it can light up a dark sky. Our lives are like that, dead without God’s love. But when we are focused on God, His love fills our lives so that we become His reflection, lighting up all those dark little corners in the world.
Prayer: Let my light shine to wipe out the darkness in the world. Amen.
Deborah Blair
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