By Evan Bartholomew.
“Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. ‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.’” Isaiah 58:7-10 (NIV).
|
|
As disciples, one of the most amazing demonstrations of God’s overwhelming grace and unlimited power in our own lives is found by looking at how He pulled each and every one of us “out of the darkness and into His wonderful light” (I Peter 2:9). We remember the emptiness and loneliness of the darkness, and our cries for help when we were the most desperate. Then, just like “a burning stick snatched from the fire” (Zechariah 3:2), God reached down, grabbed hold of us, and brought us into a new and incredible life. With certainty, we are no longer found buried in the deepest pits of darkness, but have been rescued and made into light for a wicked and darkened world. We are now a “light to shine before men” (Matthew 5:16). Yet, not all lights shine brightly. There are some who barely flicker like a candle caught by a gust of wind. Then there are those whose brilliance shines through the night like distant stars across the expanse of the universe. How brightly does your light shine?
More »
