Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
DAILY READING Matthew 2; Exodus 22:1-23:33; Proverbs 10
In November of 1904, the Welsh Revival broke out in Britain. Spearheaded by the great preacher, Evan Roberts, it swept through the landscape like a hurricane drastically affecting lives and lifestyles. Its emphasis was on seeing sinners saved, as a result, many turned to God. The rise in spiritual hunger brought a great decline to social activities. National sports were deserted; theatres were emptied; pubs closed and crime dropped. In Cardiff, police reported that drunkenness dropped by 60% within one month of the revival beginning. This revival even invaded brothels and gambling dens. Hardened, cursing miners would have been regarded to be the hardest people to reach in the land were suddenly transformed. Agnostics repented, children prayed down the power of God. Even politicians had to take note. Mr. Lloyd George, a Member of Parliament (and later Prime Minister of Britain) said “… it is certainly the most remarkable spiritual movement this generation has witnessed… It seems to be rocking Welsh life like a great earthquake.”
The nation as a whole was touched and transformed by this revival. Evans Robert through the power of the Gospel, changed the lifestyle of the Welsh society. He allowed God to pass through him to invade that community and establish divine order.
God has called us to shine as lights in our world. We are to positively affect our environment by the power of God. This is why when we get born again, God does not take us to Heaven immediately, He keeps us on the earth so that we become His agents to change the world, to bring men into alignment with His will. That’s why Jesus said in John 17, ‘Father don’t take them out of the world just keep them from the evil.’
God is not interested in taking us out of the world now, because there’s work to be done. Lives are ruined and our job is to make them whole again, by letting our light so shine that men may see our good works and want to come into the Kingdom.
In generations past, God planted Joseph, Daniel and Esther among evil systems. They went in as agents of God to affect and change their environments. They let their lights shine, so that men saw their good works and glorified God.
Jesus walked on the earth 2000 years ago, and the light He shined shattered the darkness of the ages. Today, we are Jesus’ legs, hands and mouthpiece. We are the manifest form of Jesus that men see. You and I are invading the earth system. The Kingdom of God must dominate the kingdom of this world; and we are the agents of change God has sent to effect this. We must allow the glory of God to be seen through us.
You are a change agent; an ambassador of Heaven. Everywhere you go, the atmosphere should shift. We should release the power of Christ to affect our world. Lives are to be changed, destinies recovered. There should be a difference, because we came. God is looking for Moses, Joshuas and Esthers who will rise up at this end time and say ‘God use me.’ God is going to use us as battle axes to root out and to build up. He will use us to make His enemies His footstool.
PRAYER: Lord, I am available, please use me in this generation to affect my world. Let my light so shine that men may be brought into Your Kingdom.
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There is something that God has placed within you that the world is eagerly awaiting to see.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]