Candles In A Dark World – Sunday Thought For The Day

This past week I’ve been studying and reflecting upon Matthew 13-16 (KJV).  As I meditated upon the verses, I found myself particularly captured by v. 16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

In his commentary on the bible, Barnes points out five things that we learn from this verse.  We learn:

1. that religion, if it exists, cannot be concealed.

2. that where it is not manifest in the life, it does not exist.

3. that “professors” of religion, (i.e., those who claim the name of Christ), who live like other people, give evidence that they have never been truly converted.

4. that to attempt to conceal or hide our Christian knowledge or experience is to betray our trust, injure the cause of piety, and to render our lives useless. And,

5. that good actions will be seen, and will lead people to honor God. If we have no other way of doing good – if we are poor, and unlearned, and unknown yet we may do good by our lives. No sincere and humble Christian lives in vain. The feeblest light at midnight is of use.

“How far the little candle throws his beams!  So shines a good deed in a naughty world!”

I want to live my life in a way that glorifies our Father in heaven.  Living our life in a way that glorifies God is not without struggle.  As the Apostle Paul said in Romans: “…I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing…”  I detest fact that: “…the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.”  But, I truly thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, that even though this conflict exists within me, I don’t have to live in sin, because greater is He that is me than he that is in the world.

Join me in praying, that even though we are not perfect, and the battle between the Spirit of God in us wars against the flesh and our flesh wars against our Spirit; we will not make peace with our sin.  But, we will take our wayward moments to God and seek embrace His transforming power to deliver us, so our lives can shine bright to His glory.

READ:

Matthew 5:13-16 (KJV)

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.