This Little Light of Mine

Dad loved bright rooms!  I don’t think he ever bought a light bulb that was not a 100 watt. When I visited his house I found every light in the room switched on.  The idea of accent lighting was lost on him.  Apparently that gene resides in me.  I’m not much on having dinner in semi-darkness!  I like to turn on the ceiling lights; Bev to use lamps that she says make the room ‘cozy.’  What about you? Are you a make it brighter or a mood lighting kind of person? Light is amazing. A sunny day makes us more cheerful.  A tiny nightlight chases away the monsters that terrifies a little boy. A flashlight gives us confidence to walk across the yard in the middle of the night.

Are you a bright light in your world? Jesus said, "You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, CEV)  In His time, there were no street lights along the roads or pathways.  If a traveler was trying to make it home, he looked for the light that spilled from the windows of the town. If a town was built on a hilltop, those lights guided travelers to home by shining for miles!

The prophet Isaiah, moved by the Spirit, spoke of God’s glory (a holy glow!) that spills from His people “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3, NIV)  What does this mean?

When Christ comes to us, by the Holy Spirit we are made alive to God and we begin to see clearly.  We understand right and wrong, we see through the deceptions of evil. Our lives are not wasted wandering in confusion or chasing shadows. Instead we live with purpose. We love in a hate-filled world. We are people of integrity in a world where lies abound. We are ready to care for the weak, to give dignity to those who are outcast, to seek justice for those who are downtrodden.  By the Spirit, we bring lasting joy to a world that chases momentary happiness.  And yes, we know where our true home is and we show others the way. "It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful." (2 Corinthians 4:6, The Message)

Has the Light shined into your life? If not, invite Him to come and dispel the darkness.  If so, let Him shine brightly.

Here’s the word from the Word.
"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. … the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." (1 John 2:2-11, NIV)

__________

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine.

Let it shine,

Let it shine,

Let it shine!