Silly to Hide a Light

31 Days of Courageous Hope - Day 30

Friday - July 30th

Scripture to Read Today: Matthew 5:14-16

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Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead, they put it on its stand,

and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Matthew 5:15

One of my favorite songs as a kid was "This Little Light of Mine." For some reason, I really liked the lines of the song that say, "Put it under a bushel? No!" and "Don't let Satan 'whhhh' it out." As I look back, it might just be as a young boy, I caught the heart of having a light that shines for the Lord. You can't let your light shine if it is hidden, or you have allowed Satan to extinguish it somehow. It is silly to hide a light that is meant to shine!

When my brother and I were kids, our home church often hosted a couple who traveled from church to church with an elaborate puppet stage and were incredible VBS teachers. Uncle Jim and Aunt Sandy (in the 70s it seemed all children's ministry workers went by aunt or uncle - not sure why), had a version of "This Little Light of Mine" in which their whole cast of puppets acted the song out. It has been embedded permanently in my mind's eye. Whether I hear that song or I come across the verses in Matthew chapter five addressing how we are the light of the world, I go to those mental images.

In the puppets' version of the song, one guy keeps putting a basket over a lit candle, and another puppet, a girl puppet, comes along and pulls the basket off and yells, "NO!" They built it up so that all of the kids in the crowd eventually yelled, "NO!" along with the girl puppet. I will never forget that. It drove home the point of what Jesus was actually communicating in the Sermon on the Mount about His followers being the light of the world.

The whole point of having a light in the middle of the darkness is letting it shine. When in darkness, it is silly to hide a light. Jesus said it clearly when he talked about how our light should shine like a city on a hill or a lamp raised up high on a lampstand. A light is meant to shine.

Jesus sends us out into a world covered in darkness to shine, not be hidden. Part of being courageous for the Lord is letting Him shine through us. Would anyone around you at work say that you shine for God? Do any of your neighbors get to see the light of Christ shining through you up close and personal?

Too many of us as Christians try to lay low - to fly under the radar. That is the same thing as putting your light under a container or bowl. Jesus said we can't hide our lights and serve Him effectively. Can you picture that image I see so clearly of the puppet shouting, "NO!"? Whether or not you can, you get the idea!

Today in how you live and love, make sure you don't hide your light. Let it shine!

Today’s Prayer

Father, our world seems to get darker by the day. Don’t let me be discouraged or overwhelmed by that. Guide me in understanding that the darker the setting the brighter the light. God use me to be a light to others today! - Amen