A WORD FOR TODAY, September 15, 2023
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 15, 2023
“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16, WEB
Ok, so I have to admit that I have a lot of days when I feel extremely pessimistic. The world around us is falling apart. People are offended by the silliest things. Anger, hatred, and violence rule the streets. The news is filled with negative stories and instead of balancing with some positive things, the anchors act foolish by giggling at jokes that just aren't funny. Black is white, bad is good, and everything is about sex. The politicians make all the same promises that they don't intend to keep, and they spend most of their time knocking each other off pedestals rather than accomplishing anything of value. Even in the Church you see too much greed, idolatry, hatred, and hedonism. We live in a world where it seems darkness reigns and I cry out daily, “Come, Lord Jesus,” because Jesus is the only One who can make all things right.
Jesus is the Light.
Have you ever noticed that a light seems to give off more light in darkness than in light? This is a phenomenon I noticed in the pantry of our last house. The light bulb didn’t change, but for some reason the pantry was always brighter at night than it was during the day. Light gets lost in the light, but light always overcomes the darkness, and the darker it is, the brighter the light seems. Jesus came the first time into a very dark world. Though the circumstances were different, people and practices were parallel to what we are experiencing today. Black was white and bad was good. Even the religious community was filled with ideas and actions that were ungodly.
Jesus shined His light into a world that needed to be lit by love and mercy. He was so much more visible in that world because He was Light in the darkness. If we look through the history of the Church, we will discover that the greatest faith revivals happened at the darkest times in the world. God’s grace shines all the more clearly when it is needed the most. I cry, “Come, Lord Jesus,” but I am certain that people have been voicing that cry for two thousand years, and while it may seem as though He is too long in coming, we can trust that while we long for the great Day of the Lord, He is still here among us shining His light.
Jesus is the Light. He shines in us. He shines through us.
See, we long for Jesus to come, and too many of us wait quietly, hidden from view because we are afraid of the threats of the world. Or we are discouraged. We don’t believe we can make a difference. We are disappointed because we just want Jesus to come take care of it all for us. We hide His light under bushels, waiting for a better time to shine. But Jesus calls us to be light in this world, to be the lamps that He uses to overcome the darkness. Instead of hiding, He sends us out into the world to be Christ to our neighbors, to take forgiveness, to share our gifts, to feed those who hunger in their bellies and in their souls. He sends us out to glorify God with our lives, to spark a revival in our time that will bring light and hope to a world filled with darkness.
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