Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 4, 2020
You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16, The Living Bible
Afraid of the dark—as young children, our girls sometimes felt this very real fear of being alone in the dark of night. One solution Rita and I (and I’m sure many other parents) discovered was the reassurance of a night light. Plugged in either in their room, in the hall, in the bathroom, or all the above! This security light helped them see beyond a black uncertainty to the certainty of their parent’s bedroom just down the hall, or the clear path to the restroom. Even a glimmer of light gave our girls the peace and security to rest well. Light gave their hearts assurance of not being alone.
Jesus practically and brilliantly contrasts the light of doing good deeds for Him, to a darkened world in need of hope and the reminder of the love of their heavenly Father. The devil is dark in his motives and in his manipulation for evil, while the Lord is light in His love and His forgiveness for all who will repent and trust in Him for their eternal salvation. Jesus is the light of the world, and His followers are filled with His light—so others might be guided to Him and be guided by Him. The guiding light of the Lord’s love glows when our good deeds point up!
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10).
You may ask, “Is it ok for me to post on social media my good deeds for others to see?” Probably not, as we are not to self promote and self sanctify our efforts by tagging on God. We let others praise us on the way to praising God, and avoid a self righteous attitude desperate for attention. Some public deeds will draw attention, such as disaster relief or serving at a soup kitchen, but we can still be quick to say, if asked why we serve—that we are servants of our Savior Jesus Christ. Being a light for Jesus has the reward of joy in this life and His eternal rewards in the next life.
Most of all, you must stay plugged into the light of the Lord to burn brightly for the Lord. How? By resisting the fear of the darkness, knowing the light of Christ exposes the enemy’s lies and deceptions. His light of love leads you into deeper oneness with Him, so the fruit of His love in your life can be feasted on by all you meet. God smiles when He sees mercy, goodness, righteousness and truth beam brightly through your life. Be a light that guides others to Jesus!
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, fill me with the light of your love, that my loving deeds might shine for you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
Who needs me to quietly serve them, not expecting an acknowledgment or recognition?
Related Reading
Proverbs 6:23, 13:9; Romans 2:19, 13:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 1:7
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