Devotion
Light overcomes all darkness
David Jacobs
Recently the light in my closet began flickering, making it almost impossible to see anything. Thinking that it would be a fairly easy job, I took off the light and replaced it with another only to see, much to my dismay, the new light bulb also flickered. I remained proactive, and removed the entire fixture and had to eventually replace the transformer (which I admit I did not know existed). After multiple days, voila! The light was back on in my closet, so now I was able to notice the state of complete disarray that my clothes were in. Do we neglect to illuminate our own light in our lives?
Jesus is the light of the world and knows that he must shine so that we may see him. Should we not also hold ourselves to the same standard? Luke 8:16-17 discusses the importance of where a light is used. We would not light a candle and put it under a pot or under a bed (and unfortunately not in my closet). We should hold the light high so that we, and others, can see it. Jesus shined brightly for us, a gleaming example to which we should aspire, and his light was not extinguished even when pressed by the Pharisees. No, he remained confident, knowing full well that he was the truth and the light.
Many Christians do not shine bright enough in their daily lives. Much of society frowns upon it but is accepting of public displays of sex, greed, and violence. We should not put our faith under a vessel! We owe it to God and his son, who is our light in the darkness! We owe it to all those around us, to help lead them when they cannot see. Last, we owe it to ourselves, to surround ourselves with light and drive away darkness. Everything else, we leave to God.
Thought: If you notice darkness around you, do not be afraid to step up and shine, even in public. As Jesus stood up when pressed by the Pharisees, we too, can stand up and shine when we know we are right.
Prayer
Dearest Father, help listen to the words of your Son and my savior. He is your light and mine, my guide, strength, and redeemer. Humble me in thy sight, O Lord, so that I realize that I am lost without your guidance, a lamb without a shepherd. In times of darkness, help me to stand for what I know is good, and shine as an example to others. In your holy name I pray, Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
