Shining the Light of Jesus
Have you ever walked from a dark place into a very bright space? Light has incredible power over our senses, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. But light is necessary for us to live. It illuminates the world.
In Matthew 5, Jesus uses light as metaphor several times to describe the life of a disciple. He says that His disciples are like a town built on a hill that shines light into the valley (Matthew 5:14). He also says we’re like a lamp that gives light to a whole house (Matthew 5:15).
The life of a disciple of Jesus is meant to be like that of a light that shines brightly for others to see. So what is the light that we have?
It is the message of the Gospel. We’ve been given knowledge of what Jesus has done for us, and it’s that knowledge that changes everything for us. We now have a new life because of Jesus.
Jesus also says that people recognize our light through our good deeds. When we choose to love others, we are showing them the light and love of Jesus.
If you want to be a light in a dark world, remember this: the most illuminating act of all is loving people like Jesus. We are a city on a hill, a lamp shining into a whole house. The darkness around us may seem overwhelming, but the love we show because of the light within us illuminates everything.
Let the world know!
The Old Testament recounts many moments where God provided for His people. But one powerful retelling of God’s greatness is found in Psalm 105.
Psalm 105 focuses on events found in the book of Exodus—when worshipers were encouraged to remember God’s faithfulness and show gratitude for what He's done. And while all 45 verses are worth studying, let’s take a closer look at the verse that sets the tone for this Psalm, and the four ways it invites us into worship…
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.”
Psalm 105:1 ESV
REFLECT ON GOD'S GOODNESS
Gratitude comes from recognizing what God has done for us. So in order to show gratitude, we have to recognize how God was at work in our past circumstances. When we do that, we can acknowledge God’s faithfulness and genuinely worship Him.
THANK GOD
In Psalm 105:1, the term “giving thanks” stems from the Hebrew word "yadah" which means, “to revere or ...