Won't Let Satan Blow It Out

Saturday - October 23rd

Scripture to Read Today: Matthew 5:14-16

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No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

Matthew 5:15

As a child growing up in a wonderful church setting in Northern Indiana, I probably sang the familiar song "This Little Light of Mine" hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Whenever I hear that song, I picture a specific scene when we sang the song in the children's church of Twin Branch Bible Church. I must have been around eight or nine years of age.

We were in the large fellowship room in the basement of the church. A couple from a different church in our area had a full-time children's ministry that featured puppets. They were at our church that morning. As kids, we knew them as Uncle Jim and Aunt Jenny. While other groups had a puppet stage and some puppets, these two were young, creative, and had an elaborate puppet stage, large engaging puppets, and lots of other innovative visual tools. Their puppets were so fun and approachable, which made the singing dynamic even better for us as kids. Their rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" was no exception.

The music was upbeat, and some of our favorite puppets led the song. They even turned out the lights at one point in the song, and the main puppet had a candle (I don't think it was real, but it seemed like it then). As we sang the lyrics about not hiding the light under a basket, a basket covered the light, and the room would go dark. As we sang the line in the song that said, "Won't let Satan blow it out," another puppet dressed as the typical, red-suited devil chased the puppet with the candle, trying to blow it out. The chase was funny, and the puppeteers hammed it up a lot.

Then the puppet carrying the candle stopped at the center of the stage to lead us in singing the main stanza of the song. With the lights out, the one candle he had dispelled the darkness and spread the light. Strange what we remember from our childhood. It's odd how every time I hear that song, I think of the puppets singing it when I was a boy.

Jesus said our light is to be evident to all. That as we shine for Him in this world living in darkness, we should not let anything, or anyone distract us from shining brightly. The basket that hid the light sure made things darker in that fellowship hall. Satan chasing the one with the candle to blow it out illustrated how much Satan wants to blow out the testimony we have, and that God wants to shine for Him.

As you live and love like Jesus today, don't hide your light from anyone. And don't let Satan blow out the bright light God expects to shine from you daily. All Satan needs to do is distract you from Jesus and walking in obedience to Him. If he is successful, then the light of your testimony will not be seen by others. That will grieve the heart of our God!

Don't let anything or anyone hide, diminish, or blow out your life testimony for your Savior! Instead, make sure your light shines brightly and obviously. As Jesus said, "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house" (Jesus in Matthew 5:15).

Don't hide or let Satan blow out the light you shine for Jesus! Let your light shine brightly and boldly!