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Shine the Light
Andrea Lende • September 5, 2021
Matthew 5:14 and 16
Shine the Light
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Shine-the-Light-e16unh5
Matthew 5:14 and 16
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”
Our passage stood out to me today because I needed to be reminded to keep shining the Light of Jesus.
The Light the Lord put in my spirit.
There is so much turmoil, anguish, and darkness in our world.
It is easy for our spirits to be dragged down into all of it.
But God calls us to do something different.
He calls us to be something different.
Jesus said to be the light.
He said to let our lights shine.
In a dark and torn up world, I have found myself withdrawing lately.
And I’ve felt justified in doing so.
I haven’t wanted to disrupt or cause any further upset.
So, I’ve pulled in afraid to participate.
But our passage today reminds me to stop retreating and push forward.
Shine bright and shine strong.
Not for me but for the Lord.
Jesus said be the light to glorify God.
All glory is the Lord’s.
Without His strength, courage, and Spirit within me, there is nothing I could do that I am currently doing.
He is the One Who does the work in me so I can serve Him as He asks.
Even though Jesus gave these instructions over two thousand years ago, they are so very important for us today.
I am so grateful for the Word which brings me a fresh Word every day.
A Word that is a now Word and much needed for my soul.
Today I choose to shine the Light of Jesus everywhere I go to glorify the Lord in all that I do.
May you find an opportunity to be the Light for someone who needs a beacon of hope in this difficult season.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for giving me a fresh and much needed Word every day. Thank You for reminding me to shine Your Light in the darkness around me. As the difficulties and devastation continue in our world, help me be a beacon of hope for someone today. Help me shine the Light Jesus asked me to shine for Your glory, Lord. May all people everywhere find You and worship You. You are greatly to be praised! You are Almighty! You are gracious and merciful. You are Love. Help me share You today. May You light the path for me and for all Your people. May You lead and guide me in all ways and help me be obedient to You. May Your name be glorified in all that I do today. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Light that shines in the darkness and will continue to shine for all to see.
Response: Help me follow You, Lord, and light the way for others.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.