Let There be Light

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

Sometimes life feels like a bit of a riddle: All that stuff going on in your life, your heart, your family, your job … and they just don’t makes sense. What you need is someone to shine a light on it all to help you make sense of it.

If you happen to be a Christian it’s frustrating, because we believe in an all-powerful, all-loving God. A God who’s sovereign over all. A God who has everything under control.

But imagine how much worse it must be for someone who doesn’t know God, who hasn’t experienced the light of His love in their hearts. And it’s to those people that God has sent us who believe in Jesus – almost like a lantern to shine His light into the dark recesses of their lives.

To a bunch of ordinary people – not the religious powerbrokers in Jerusalem, but to farmers, shopkeepers, labourers – Jesus put it like this:

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

So, friend, if you believe in this Jesus who was and is the light of the world, know this: He’s appointed you to follow in His footsteps. He’s appointed you to be like a lantern, to shine His light into the lives of others. In short, you are the light of the world.

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.