You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
It is hard to see everything you've worked for being gutted and/or devalued and feel powerless to do anything about it. I know lots of people right now who feel that way. Compound that with life tragedies and it can be overwhelming...especially if we think we should have control of it.
The only thing we have control of is how we respond or react. And how we do either depends on our faith and trust in God and His Word. The Word tells us we have authority wherever we place our feet. As such, we can set the tenor of our home and our workplace.
Times may be hard. The uncertainty of your job may be difficult, but if God still has you in that place, you are there for a reason! Perhaps we need to be reminded to look at it in light of how we should be serving others instead of how we think we should be served.
Those around us are laid to our charge. We are to care for them. If we are to be a light in this darkness, we have to keep enough oil in our lamps to stay lit. We have to stay prayed up and praised up so that we have enough love to pour out.
I don't know about you, but oftentimes, I feel ill-equipped for this on all sides. Life IS a battle, and the odds are that we may be hurt. There will be pain, but I know God. And I know He is more than enough! Be a light of victory to your world through Him.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for handpicking us for the battle. Let us prove to be worthy of the fight. Lord, we want our good deeds to shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise You! Cause us to be victorious in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Showing posts with label candle light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label candle light. Show all posts
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Friday, December 13, 2013
This Little Light of Mine +
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. Isaiah 42:3 NLT
Candles are very popular and they continue to gain in popularity. Did you know you can purchase a candle that smells like dirt? Truly! And if you like food-scented candles, how about trying the pizza, popcorn, bacon, nachos, coffee, or cotton candy candles? And those who are into the great outdoors but can't get there through work or weather, these will carry you through - lawn mower clippings scent, campfire candle, pigskin candle, or smores... and how about this? A Hippie-scented candle...I can't even imagine what would go into that...and I'm not sure I want to know! Whatever the scent, no matter if it's 2 for a dollar or $40 a candle, none of them burn without a wick. And the wick has to be properly maintained for the candle to do all it's supposed to do and for the time it's supposed to do it.
Wicks should be trimmed to 1/4 inch every time before the candle is lit. Carbon accumulates on the end of a wick and can weigh the wick to one side so that the candle burns unevenly. That nobby of carbon on the end of the wick can also prevent oxygen from getting to the flame, or if the wick gets too long it cannot draw wax all the way up to the top. Both can cause the flame to go out because the wick itself will then start to burn, which also produces the black soot. It gets ugly rather quickly.
I know you don't need a lesson in candle care and you might be asking what does all this have to do with anything in the eternal weight of things. Well, I can't seem to get away from today's Scripture. I keep seeing the smoldering wick of one who is overwhelmed by life, the one who sees no way out, the smoldering wick of a life that has born much pain, and wants to believe someone cares - that they matter. They want to believe... and we glance over and think, "They're okay, I still see some light..."
You know who they are - they're burning themselves out and spewing soot all over everything around them, where once they burned brightly, cleanly. Now, there's that faint red glow on the wick that's burning itself out, no light left, just a little smoke because it's drowning, but if they could just get a little breath of life blown their way to feed the flame... or get a little help to get rid of the weighty carbon nobs of accumulated sin so they can once again draw from the wellspring of life.
Does that make any sense? Have you seen them? Is it you?
Wicks have to be tended for the candle to maintain a clean flame. Each candle is created to burn for a certain length of time, and that time is NOT accomplished if the wick is not tended properly. And if they don't burn for the length of time for which they were created, how many will not see the Light?
Prayer:
Father,
Candles are very popular and they continue to gain in popularity. Did you know you can purchase a candle that smells like dirt? Truly! And if you like food-scented candles, how about trying the pizza, popcorn, bacon, nachos, coffee, or cotton candy candles? And those who are into the great outdoors but can't get there through work or weather, these will carry you through - lawn mower clippings scent, campfire candle, pigskin candle, or smores... and how about this? A Hippie-scented candle...I can't even imagine what would go into that...and I'm not sure I want to know! Whatever the scent, no matter if it's 2 for a dollar or $40 a candle, none of them burn without a wick. And the wick has to be properly maintained for the candle to do all it's supposed to do and for the time it's supposed to do it.
Wicks should be trimmed to 1/4 inch every time before the candle is lit. Carbon accumulates on the end of a wick and can weigh the wick to one side so that the candle burns unevenly. That nobby of carbon on the end of the wick can also prevent oxygen from getting to the flame, or if the wick gets too long it cannot draw wax all the way up to the top. Both can cause the flame to go out because the wick itself will then start to burn, which also produces the black soot. It gets ugly rather quickly.
I know you don't need a lesson in candle care and you might be asking what does all this have to do with anything in the eternal weight of things. Well, I can't seem to get away from today's Scripture. I keep seeing the smoldering wick of one who is overwhelmed by life, the one who sees no way out, the smoldering wick of a life that has born much pain, and wants to believe someone cares - that they matter. They want to believe... and we glance over and think, "They're okay, I still see some light..."
You know who they are - they're burning themselves out and spewing soot all over everything around them, where once they burned brightly, cleanly. Now, there's that faint red glow on the wick that's burning itself out, no light left, just a little smoke because it's drowning, but if they could just get a little breath of life blown their way to feed the flame... or get a little help to get rid of the weighty carbon nobs of accumulated sin so they can once again draw from the wellspring of life.
Does that make any sense? Have you seen them? Is it you?
Wicks have to be tended for the candle to maintain a clean flame. Each candle is created to burn for a certain length of time, and that time is NOT accomplished if the wick is not tended properly. And if they don't burn for the length of time for which they were created, how many will not see the Light?
Prayer:
Father,
Please, trim what needs to be trimmed in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Breathe Your breath of Life on us to fan the flame of Your Light to the world. As this world becomes darker, Father, cause our flame of fervor for Your Truth to burn ever more brightly so that all are drawn to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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