Shine the Light

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
Ephesians 5:8 NLT

Last night, my youngest granddaughter spent the night with me, and this morning, as we were getting ready to leave for church, she asked if she should turn off the Tiffany lamp that sits in our entryway. (She's excited about finally being old enough to be able to touch certain things that previously she could only "touch" with her eyes.) I told her that I always leave that light on to welcome us home and because it's just so beautiful when it is lit. I also mentioned that it's really not pretty when it's turned off. She didn't believe it, so I invited her to turn it off. She couldn't believe the difference.

I know I've written about it before, but it was a perfect teaching moment to illustrate our text for today. She has such great spiritual insight for her age, so I explained the analogy of our lives being like that lamp. Without the light of Jesus, we are in darkness. She caught on right away and added, "kind of boring and a little ugly, too."  Immediately, she turned it back on and realized that it shined its colors on the wall, so she put her hand next to it to point out how the colors also reflected on her. That excited her!

"We should shine on everybody with Jesus' light," she commented brightly. 

"Yes, Darlin', we should."

Prayer:

Father,

            Oh, that we would be as excited and eager as this child to shine the light of Jesus on everyone! Change our hearts, O God. We pray for You to fulfill Your promise to us in Ezekiel, And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. So let it be written. So let it be done. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Light On or Off? +

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV

About a decade ago, dear friends of mine gifted me with a Tiffany lamp with a dragonfly pattern. I love that lamp - for lots of reasons - but just to name a couple: One - My friends thought enough of me to get it for me. And two - They know me well enough to know I collect dragonfly items. 

However, the most important reason I love it is that God has taught me much through this Tiffany lamp pictured here - without the light and with the light.

Oh, even without the light on, you can see there's some fine workmanship in it - lots of potential - but you can't see its' true beauty. And even with a light shining directly on it, you could totally miss the dragonflies. However, once that lamp is lit - Can you believe the difference? The colors are so alive and vibrant! The jewel tones splash onto the wall lending the light and beauty to everything within their touch...

And THAT'S how it is when the Light of the World comes to live inside of us!  Our potential becomes obvious, and we become what we were created to be! And the light and love that God places inside of us should splash onto everyone and everything within our reach. 

Is your light on or off?

Prayer:

Father,

           We want YOUR light to so shine through us that it points the way to You for a world walking in darkness. May we reflect Your light, Your love and beauty to those You have placed within our reach. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen