A String of Lights - 2 - Saturday December 12, 2015
You are the light of the world... Let your light shine before men... Matthew 5:14,16 NIV
I sat down in the dimly lit room, ready to rest after a busy day of errands and decorating our home for Christmas. My eyes were drawn to the sparkling lights of the garland flanking our fireplace mantel and to the Christmas tree lights shining festively beside it. What a striking contrast the lights and the darkness of the room made.
I got to thinking that just one light in those strings would stand out in the darkness, but oh what a glory the whole string created. The effect was breathtaking.
Isn't it interesting that Jesus calls Christians the light of the world. Each one of us, if we are letting the Spirit shine through us, is as a light on that string. We stand out in the darkness and draw attention to the One who lives within us bringing beauty and light. Now imagine the effect of a group of Christian believers. Just like that string of lights, the "glow" of many together can be breathtaking indeed.
Our church has a tradition of ending our Christmas Eve service by singing the carol "Silent Night." As we sing, the lights are dimmed and ushers light the individuals' candles at the ends of the front rows. Each person then lights his candle from his neighbor's until the whole room is filled with the light of many candles. It is a beautiful representation of Christ's church body shining brightly together.
At this Christmas season of lights, don't forget to let your light shine through your good deeds and words. And make it a point to be in fellowship with other believers, shining together and reaching out to a darkened world that desperately needs the light of Jesus.
Submitted by:
Dawn Bovenmyer
Stonebrook Community Church
Ames, Iowa
One-Year Reading Plan:
Amos 7:1-9:15
Revelation 3:7-22
Psalms 131:1-3
Proverbs 29:23
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCB-ES: Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible B) The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy, Bible, New International Version, copyright B) 1973, 1978, 1984 by InternaB-tional Bible Society; (NKJV) are from New King James Version B) 1982 by Thomas Nelson; (NLT) are from the New Living Translation, B) 1996, Tyndale House Publishers; (ESV) are from English Standard VersionB., B) 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; (TM) are from The Message B) 1993 by NavPress Publishers.