Is Your ‘Light’ Evident?

Post Date:

Wednesday, 2017-01-11
SCRIPTURE

From:

Matthew 5:14–16 (CEV)

Text:

14 You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16 Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
OBSERVATION:
I believe that it was evident to Jesus that the witness of the people He was addressing was so dim, or invisible, that He gave them first an example of Salt. He knew that everyone would know if salt was present on food, because it added such flavor to food. Likewise, He wanted the world to know without a doubt that the love of Christ in a believer was so important that others would have no doubt about whether a believer was who he claimed to be. Just in case His hearers missed that point, Jesus gave yet another example – light. He wanted his hearers to know that if the ‘Light’ of the world played a role in their life, then they themselves would be seen as a ‘light’ to a world filled with the darkness of sin. Verse 16 stands out in my mind, because Jesus wanted His hearers to know that this was not a thing of performance or self-gratification, but rather that the example of Christ and the application of His commands might be so evident in their lives, that Jesus would be glorified, not the believers themselves.
APPLICATION:
Friends, we are taught by Jesus, that He said nothing, nor did anything without a word from His Father. Likewise, when we surrender our lives to Jesus, we surrender our will and our very being to His will and His control. When this happens, we start speaking like Him, and acting like Him. Then it becomes very natural for others to see Jesus in us, and therefore create a sense of praise, honor and glory by unbelievers to the holy Son of God. Remember, for us to pretend being Jesus, will create such a false impression on others that they will want nothing to do with us, or the one we are pretending to be. However, when we allow God to work His will and His way out in our lives, and we simply trust and obey, then the world begins to see the image and person of Jesus Christ. Whenever the people praise us, they have missed the point. Unless they praise the One to whom all glory and honor belongs, then we had best draw closer to God and become even more transparent in our actions and our words. Let’s aim at letting Jesus be glorified today because of what people may see in our lives. We are mere messengers, so let’s deliver the One whom we represent so that Jesus may be glorified, honored and accepted today.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Light of this world and the Light of my life. As each reader and I approach the throne today, we come as candles wanting to be lit with Your everlasting flame. As we enter our dark world today, we want others to see the ‘Light’ without even wondering what the candle or the holder of the candle looks like. Lord, it’s You that we honor, praise and seek to glorify and represent today. Please help us to hide behind the Light so that others might see Jesus and believe on the only Light that can save them from the darkness that surrounds them in this evil world. Jesus, Light of the world, be glorified in and through each of Your representatives today! AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Everyone Has A Chance

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Joel 2:31–32
Today’s Bible Text: 31 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. 32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, …..
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: I believe there are situations that occur here in this world where we get so caught up with the media in evaluating every little aspect of it, that we may often miss the heart of God and the ability to dig deep into the desires of our heart to touch the world for Jesus Christ. I know, emotions can easily take over, but with a heart like that of our God, will we truly be looking for a place to lay the blame or think about the mind of the person who caused the event? Friends, I would suggest that when you click on the scripture passage above, that you would expand it to read the whole chapter. It’s just a total of 32 verses to read! Very little is known about Joel, but he was obviously very concerned about a disaster that impacted the lives of his family, his town and even his region, as a plague of locusts had destroyed everything. Especially back then, a total destruction of crops, which also led to a shortage of food for livestock, soon led to a time of panic by residents. However, notice that Joel looked beyond the normal eye of the news reporter, and instead considered what God might benefit from this whole event. Can’t you imagine that before this disaster, there may have been evangelistic meetings reaching out to the same people that were now impacted with this disaster? However, instead of Joel using the disaster to ridicule, or place blame, or accuse the sin nature of the people, he continued a consistent, loving, caring message to his people, that regardless of the happenings evident around them, please know that God’s salvation plan is still available to those who call upon Him. Regardless of the number who may direct blame towards God in the type of disaster Joel found himself in, or even in the disasters we face, our message should be the same: Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED! Please don’t get sucked into the ploy of the media to find the worst in everything. We have GREAT NEWS that will only be exposed, if God’s people, who are called by His name, will humble themselves and pray, and be willing to continue spreading the gospel – even in the midst of what might appear to be disastrous situations.

Prayer: Father, it’s not our place to question, but to obey and continue spreading the joy of our salvation and the the hope for tomorrow given to the believer in Jesus Christ. May our minds be so fixed on You that, although we may fret in times of disaster, our hope in the God of our salvation will excel to a point that we will see the hearts of those who need You as Savior and Lord. There are many who need hope at this time as they mourn the loss of loved ones, or as they sit by hospital beds with loved ones struggling to survive. Please comfort each one, and please dear Lord, draw them to Yourself. May they find hope in calling on your name. Please calm the hearts of those caught up in the media hype, and refocus their energy into drawing closer to You. I ask these things in faith, and because of Your love for all mankind – Your creation, and the ones You particularly died for. AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

The Word–Like Light to a Dark World

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? We live in such a dark, cold world, but praise God we know and represent the only true Light of the world. In this devotional you will be reminded of the importance of allowing THE Light of the world to shine through you every day!

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 1:19
Today’s Bible Text: 19 So we have seen and proved that what the prophets said came true. You will do well to pay close attention to everything they have written, for, like lights shining into dark corners, their words help us to understand many things that otherwise would be dark and difficult. But when you consider the wonderful truth of the prophets’ words, then the light will dawn in your souls and Christ the Morning Star will shine in your hearts.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: Based on an encounter by Peter, he spoke with great assurance in his text about how his eyes were opened – much like light being brought into a dark room, and how his life was impacted by that experience. I felt compelled by God to recognize that this is what I am faced with each day. I recognized that unless you, my Christian friend, and I stop our selfish view on life and get serious about seeking God’s His love and His faithfulness, and then share that with everyone we come into contact with, how else will our family and friends know? How will they know that there is a Light just waiting to brighten their dark world and fill their life with encouragement and hope? Friends, how will they know if we don’t tell them? In a more personal perspective, how are you doing in your daily, personal, intimate experience with God? Are you going so fast and furious that you are hoping God would catch up with you and impress upon you how much He cares about you? Friends, remember that God loved us so much that He allowed His very own Son to die a cruel death so that we might have a chance at heaven and enjoy eternity with Him. In appreciation for all that God did, what can be considered too much to ask of you in return? Are you ok in telling God at the end of the day that it just wasn’t a priority for you to meet with Him that day or study His Word? Throughout the Word of God, we are encouraged to tell everyone about this same Jesus and how He has impacted our lives. We may not be impacted because we hear the pastor tell us about God at a weekend service. We may not be impacted because of the awesome, Christian parents or grandparents that we have. There’s a song that says it well: ‘Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path’, but I am convinced that this not only happens to enrich our life, but to create a glow in us that tells those around us that we must have the Light of all lights deep within us. God’s light within us must not only serve as a light for our path, but as a hope for others who see that light. Be intentional about letting Your Light shine brightly today so that the world will see and believe!

Prayer: Loving Father, thank You for providing the means for us to be saved from this old sinful, dark world. Please help us to be conduits of the love You have promised to those who need Your forgiveness and Your love, and not an obstacle that sheds no Light into this dark world of sin and hopelessness. May we stay close to the source each day, for it is only through a connected, vibrant relationship with the Light that we can ever expect to ‘glow’ and impact those we come into contact with. Lord, may they see the Light of the world today as they encounter this messenger of the Light. I ask these things in faith, believing in the only true Light of the world, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

What’s Inside Us Will Exude From Us

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! Read on and be blessed friend!………

The Bible Text:

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! Read on and be blessed friend!………

The Bible Text:
The Bible Reference:
1 John 1:7
The Bible Translation: New International Version (NIV)

My Take Away: Ever heard friends say that they would never agree to put a  bumper sticker on their car with a Christian message, because they know what it looks like when a driver passes you in a fit of rage, pointing his finger and all, only to look on his rear bumper and see a fish symbol or a church bumper sticker? Is it any wonder then why we see churches split and huge divisions in the church among Christians? For breaking man’s laws, is in direct conflict with God’s law. John shares with us in the surrounding verses of this scripture that God himself is light, and that there is no darkness in Him. If we live in Him – obeying His commands and imitating His walk while here on earth, then other like Brothers and Sisters will sense that communion and there will be great fellowship together. Does this not conclude then that when there is not that sweet fellowship, or when there is rumblings, or when we are acting like children of Satan, that we are not walking in the ‘Light’? Friends, please note the subject of this devotional, and also re-read the text. I believe you can easily discern that if we have the Light of the World in our lives, directing our paths, controlling our tongues and leading us to His Word for our ‘daily bread’ (our inspiration for every aspect of our lives), then wouldn’t it make sense that our lives will reflect that ‘Light’, and that our actions will impact lives because they are imitating the teachings and example of Christ? For the Christian, our speech and our actions can also act as a thermometer, if we are totally honest with ourselves, because when we speak and/or act like the Devil, we would quickly realize that we have permitted way too much darkness to enter our lives, and that we must diligently strive to reunite and/or realign our lives with Christ. The secret is, that we spend time in the Word, and pray to our Father daily. Only then will our lives truly take on the character of Jesus and therefore permit our lives to honestly reflect Him before mankind. So the challenge today is: based on what you see exuded from your mouth each day, and based on your actions, who exactly is it that you serve? Who is inside, controlling what you preach and/or example to others? If it’s Jesus, the world will know and believe, because of your interaction with them, and your witness to them! When you have a desire to serve only Jesus, I believe that He will fill any gaps or shortcomings that you may be sensitive to. He just needs your availability, He will take care of the necessary abilities!

Prayer: Father, may Your light, Your character, Your commands and Your love fill our lives to overflow, so that we may become more like You in every possible way, every day and in every circumstance. Lord, we want others to know You personally. I pray that they will see so much of You in us, that they will be assured of Your existence, and have an undying desire to know You in a very personal way. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, and for Your glory oh Lord, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016


The Bible Reference:
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The Bible Translation: ^

My Take Away: ^

Prayer: ^

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

Light Your Path

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – John 8:12): 12 Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”

THOUGHTS: Having recently had surgery, the doctor was emphatic about making sure there was adequate light at night to make sure I didn’t trip on anything. Earlier this week I was working on a project that involved using a screwdriver. Once it got dark enough I could not continue, because without light I just could not find the screw-head. I believe that you are probably getting the point, that without sufficient light you just cannot do a whole lot. But what about in other aspects of life where we don’t necessarily depend on natural light versus the absence of light? There are times when we need to make decisions, and we feel totally blinded because we just don’t know what impact our decision will have on us. For example, retirement. We may want to begin retirement at age 50, so we could enjoy our dream vacations and destinations while we still have fairly good health. However, we worry about there being enough money in our retirement fund to keep us out of poverty, because who knows how long we will live into retirement? There seems to always be a part of decision making that is impacted by the unknown, so we stumble around in the dark, hoping that we will make good decisions. For those who read their Bibles, we know that there are two final destinations that awaits us after death from this world. If we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, then Jesus has lifted the vail and showed us what our eternal kingdom will look like, and who will be in charge there. God created this universe, so we know He is there, and His Son, Jesus, is already there waiting for us. For those who have not made a decision like this, then the Bible is also clear on their destination, and who will be in charge there, for Satan and his angels awaits those who have deliberately chosen to walk in darkness. Unfortunately folk, if you are like many here, who have already had your share of earthly sufferings, please allow me to gently break the bad news to you: ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’. Won’t you consider being obedient to the Light of this world today friend? Jesus loved us and suffered on a cruel cross just so that we might have the keys to heaven, or know the pathway to heaven. He has provided light to the dark path that we are traveling, for He is the Light of the world. Why go on blindly as if in total darkness, when we know who the Light is, and where we can find it/Him? Jesus loves us way too much to see us plunder around in darkness and lose our battle to Satan, but He also loved us enough to allow us to make the choice of whether we will invite Light into our dark pathway of life. The choice seems plain, and obvious to me. Will you please do me a big favor and make the right choice, for I really want to see all of my friends and family in heaven on celebration day, especially you, friend!

PRAYER: The picture is clear dear God, for You have provided the Light that this world needs. Not only to prevent our stumbling around in the dark here on earth, but also for providing a clear, lighted path to heaven, where we are told that no light will be necessary there for You are the light. Praise God forever and forever! Please touch the lives of the unsaved today dear God. Please light their path so brightly that they will recognize their need for the Savior. Thank You for so adequately providing the Light of the world Heavenly Father, to be my Savior from Hell and damnation. My deepest desire is to see my family and friends do the same, so I am humbly placing this request at Your feet, praying that Your perfect will might be accomplished today. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, THE Light, THE Truth and THE Way, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Good Deeds That Trigger Praise To God

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Matthew 5:13-16): 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

THOUGHTS: Jesus always taught using object lessons that His hearers could identify with. Fortunately, we can still identify with many of the things Jesus chose to use in His lessons. Although salt is still important in most kitchens today, I believe that it has developed more of a negative spin from our health conscious contemporaries because of the abuse by many chefs. However, let’s look at why Jesus may have chosen such a key element to demonstrate His point. It was used by the people being taught to preserve food. Without refrigeration, meat was salted to preserve it and stop decay. Then, and now, salt was/is used to flavor food – make it more palatable for the consumer of the finished product to enjoy the meal because of its greatly enhanced taste. So let’s compare this to the Christian’s life: we are a chosen people, and just like salt is not intended to stay on the ground and go unnoticed, but be used to preserve food, we too are designed to preserve the lives of those who would otherwise die and go to hell without a Savior. Our lives are to bring such ‘flavor’ (a sweet aroma, a desired transformation, a comfort, a satisfaction and a calm assurance) to an unbeliever’s life that they would gain a desire for the same attributes, and a desire for the Savior that we would constantly and consistently attribute the origination of our gift(s) to. Friends, I believe that we should have such an impact on those that we come into contact with, that their lives might be enhanced, just life salt enhances food to be more palatable. The other attribute taught by Jesus is ‘light’. Friends, please try this simple little illustration. Make a room totally dark tonight and then try moving around in the room. Then turn on just a very small flashlight, and notice the difference it makes in the large dark room. It makes a huge difference. We too live in a very dark world – darkened by sin. Jesus wants us to be relief to those who struggle in darkness – perhaps no hope, perhaps no light at the end of their dark and dreary tunnel. In the Bible Jesus is known as ‘light’. When the unsaved discovers a ray of hope in us, it reminds them of Jesus, the Light of the world, and it draws them closer to Him. To a mariner, a small light at the top of a lighthouse gives direction and hope. An unbeliever struggling in a dark world will receive a ray of hope and new direction from a Christian who lets the light of Jesus shine out from them in their actions and words. So friends, may I encourage you to allow your life to impact the lives of others like salt impacts the taste of food, and to allow the light of Jesus to shine bright enough through you that the unsaved receives hope when you walk into a room with them? May Jesus be praised today because of the difference you will make in someone’s life!

PRAYER: Dear God, as Your humble servants, may we seek Your face and allow You to impact our lives in such a way that we, in turn, may impact the lives of those that we come into contact with. May we be ‘salt’ to their dull and meaningless lives, and may we be as a ‘light’ in their dark world where there seems to be no hope. We are capable of nothing like this without Your supernatural power in and through us, so Lord I pray that You might be given full reign over us today. Touch the lives of those that You know need refreshment, restoration or a new outlook on life – life eternal. Please use us in Your own special way today is my humble and sincere prayer that I ask in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

How To Live Innocent, Pure and Effective Lives

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – Philippians 2:14-16a): 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life;

Thoughts: I don’t believe there is a person on earth that would not want to live their lives with purpose and in a way that would impact someone else in a positive way. I believe that some of the bestselling books are those written to show people how they might improve their lives to be more effective in their jobs and in their personal relationships. Perhaps most folk are unaware of Biblical teachings, such as the one highlighted today, that do exactly what they are looking for! So friends let’s dig in and examine what the Word is actually directing us to do in order to live innocent, pure and effective lives:

  • First, and of primary importance, do everything without complaining and arguing. – I believe it is obvious to see that not only does this interfere in our growth and effectiveness today, but that Paul addressed this with His church followers because of issues in the church back then. Think about this good friend, and I believe that you will quickly see that this type of behavior only serves to tear down and not build up. It is generally egged on by Satan to destroy the effectiveness of God’s work among His people. So anytime you find yourself participating in something like this, please quickly recognize that you are not promoting an innocent, pure and effective work that shows God at work in your life;
  • Secondly, when others cannot see any difference in the life you live versus those that do not claim Jesus as Lord, then I would dare say that you have lost touch with the One who makes a difference in your life. For when Jesus lights up your life, through living in You and showing you the way to righteousness, your life will be a stark contrast to the unsaved that you come into contact with. People might explain a stark difference in two things as “difference between day and night”. Similarly, you can also see from verse 15 above that God is expecting our lives to be in such contrast to the darkness of sin in an unbeliever’s life, as a shining light is to one in their dark world of sin and disregard for the things of Christ. And
  • Thirdly, our strength to be effective comes from the Lord. So hold firmly to the Word of God. This is not a paper book being referred to here. This means that we are to hold on to the truths taught by and through the Word of God. When we live by the Spirit, He will be more apt to affect the lives of others through us, but when we exclude Him, we are powerless.

For the Christian, I believe that your challenge is to live the life you have committed to live in Christ’s wisdom and power so that we might all be effective witnesses for our Master. For the non-Christian, there is a better way friend! To live life to its fullest and to enjoy the rewards of sharing light and hope to your lost friends, I would encourage you to first surrender your life to the Light of this world, Jesus Christ. Please read through the ‘Footnote’ below for help on how you might do this. Friend, I am always available and ready to help you in any way that I could, in order that you might achieve this eternal hope!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Light of the world, thank You for shining Your precious light on me some 39 years ago, and for lighting my path every day, enabling me to live in the light of Your will. Please continue to touch me with Your power each and every day so that I may stay away from complaining and arguing, and instead live a clean and innocent life that exemplifies You in every way so that I may be a ‘light’, Your light, to the dark and miserable world that I am surrounded by. Please touch the hearts of my readers today so that they too might commit to being more effective ‘lights’ in their world, or if You are not known as a source of light to one that might stumble upon this devotional, I pray that You might have an awesome and life changing impact upon them today. Lord, may Your powerful ‘Light’ shine though us today, is my humble and sincere prayer that I ask in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE:  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!