Devotionals for the Heart: Light

Be the Light
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” 
–Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

Light. A simple term for a complex word. The dictionary defines it this way: “something that makes things visible or affords illumination.”

Khan Academy says this about it, “All we see is light. Your face in the mirror, the trees on your street, that donut in the bakery window—you can see them because light bounces off of them and enters your eyes. Our eyes are designed to detect light and analyze the information it carries about the world around us.”

Did you know darkness cannot overcome light? It doesn’t matter how dark it is, light always shines forth. Even when we can’t see the sun, it still shines. The light may be blocked for a time, but it still exists.

I think that’s why WE are the light of the world. We are not called to it. It is part of who we are.

Just like a candle or a flashlight, we need to shine where we’re placed. Our job is to illuminate the darkness—to chase it back.

But what if we don’t do our jobs?

What if a candle loses its flame or a flashlight runs out of batteries? They are no longer useful—unless you relight the candle or replace the batteries.

What if your light has gone out?

Well, we know the ultimate source of power—God. Seek Him. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) tells us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” 1 Cor. 4:20 (NLT) tells us, “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.”

We have to “plug in” to the true source of power, and when we do, He will supply what we need to do the work He has called us to do.

As I was working on this post, an OLD song came to mind. It came out in 1995, but I think it’s even more apropos to today’s world. I hope you don’t mind. It’s a song by Kathy Troccoli called “Go Light Your World.”

If we all allow our lights to shine for Jesus, what a difference we could make in this dark world. I encourage you to think about it. I sure have been.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly).

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.