Words from the Rock
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14 NIV
That’s a tall order, isn’t it? Jesus said he wants us to be like a bright light that’s set on the hilltop of a big city, a beam so bright it can guide people toward the city even when it’s pitch black outside. That sounds cool, but what does it mean?
Well, if you know anything about lights, you know that they need something to power them. What good is a flashlight without batteries? What good is a table lamp without electricity? What good is a kerosene lamp without kerosene? I think what Jesus is saying is that we’re supposed to be the flashlight or lamp or spotlight, but he will be what powers and fuels the actual light. In other words, it’s not up to us to provide the energy to run. We just need to be ready and willing and in the right place at the right time. And we need to be fully connected to him—because even a lamp that’s plugged in to a power outlet is useless if it’s not turned on. We need his power to flow through us.
So when we say to Jesus, “Here I am; use me however you like,” he is able to be that endless power supply that shoots his energy through us, making our lights bright and clear. And that’s when people around us will stop and take notice. That light will illuminate things that need to be seen. And who knows, some might even use our light to find their way home—back to God.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I do want to be your light. I want to make myself available to you, connected to you, so that your energy will gush through me and create a light that will help me and others find the way to you.
Amen.
Final Word
He [Jesus] said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”
John 8:12 CEV
Stone for the Journey
I’ll stay connected to God, my power source, so that my light shines brightly.