Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Monday, July 9, 2018

Jesus said, "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. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."¹

Michael Josephson, founder of Character Counts, shares how, "during my idealistic youth I attended an event in a large stadium. Everyone was given an unlit candle. Later, a speaker talked about the power of one person with an enlightened message. He also had a candle and a single match. He lit his candle and walked over to two people in the stands and with his candle he lit theirs and asked each of them to just light two other candles. Within a few minutes, everyone's candle was lit and the entire stadium glowed.

"It was the most powerful visual metaphor I've ever experienced. First of all, thousands of candles were lit by a single tiny flame. What's more, while the flame was passed on and on, each flame continued to burn with undiminished light. The speed with which the light and warmth of that single flame spread to everyone in the stadium was literally awe-inspiring."²

In this day of increasing darkness caused by so much evil and turning from God, there is an urgent need for every Christian to let his/her light shine. As we used to sing as kids in Sunday school: "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine … Hide it under a bushel, NO! I'm going to let it shine … Don't let Satan puff it out … I'm going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

The only way we are going to make an impact on the world in which we live is to let our light shine. Our words may be eloquent, our speeches inspiring, our writing powerful, but unless people see and/or sense Jesus and God's love within us, we are not going to impact anyone.

Remember, too, that all the darkness in the world cannot put out or diminish the light of one small candle. And while Jesus is the Light of the World,³ we are his "lesser lights" and need to be reflectors of his light.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available today, please help me to reflect your lightâ€"the Light of the Worldâ€"and to be as Jesus to every life I touch and grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want him for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Matthew 5:15-16 (NIV).
2. Michael Josephson, "The Power of a Single Flame" Character Counts 387.5 http://www.charactercounts.org/.
3. John 8:12.

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