Those by the way side are they that hear, then cometh the devil and taketh away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Luke 8:12
The bedroom looked dark, but I peeked in anyway to make sure the children were sleeping. All appeared still, but I noticed a bit of a strange glow coming from around one of the blankets on the bed. Quietly, I slipped up and lifted the corner of the blanket. There, instead of sleeping as she was supposed to be doing, was our daughter, reading a book. She had thought that she could hide her light so that nobody would know. Too many Christians are like that, trying to prevent the people around them from knowing that they have the light of life.
The Lord Jesus, in His parable, points out the foolishness of placing a cover over a light, or placing the light in a location where its rays could not light up the surroundings. Only on a lampstand or candlestick could a light serve its purpose and benefit the occupants of the room. When you and I were saved, the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shone in unto our souls (2 Corinthians 4:4). The light that we received was not a temporary illumination but a light that came to dwell within. It is a light that enables us to understand and obey the Scriptures, that empowers us to be faithful witnesses for our Lord, and that identifies us as belonging to our Lord. If we allow the light to be displayed in our lives, we will be like a natural light, giving illumination and help to those around us. We will show to others the very nature of God, as we reflect His goodness, love, and truth. But if we are disobedient children, hiding the light from those around us, we will serve no useful purpose for our Lord. As our text indicates, that does not make any sense.
The light that you and I have received is not our own. It is not our nature that we are displaying, but God’s. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so we are incapable of producing light ourselves, but fully capable of reflecting the light that God has shone upon us. Nobody pays much attention to the moon if it is visible in the daytime, because the sun is providing us with all of the light that we need. But at night, when the sun is gone, the moon provides light that can be both beautiful and helpful. So people around us who have no time for God can experience a little of God’s light through us. Moonlight is not nearly as bright as sunshine, of course, and you and I are not nearly as good and loving and powerful as God. But we have been given His light and it is our responsibility to place that light on display.
The light that you and I have been given is to be a help to others. Are we holding it high enough to be the help it should? -Jim MacIntosh