Matthew 5:16 ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’

DAILY READING; 1 Peter 2; Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 135

Lee Strobel held his position as an award-winning legal editor at The Chicago Tribune for 14 years. He was well respected in his field and had no need for organized religion. Logic ruled his every decision and he lived his life based solely on proven facts. By the late ’70s he had become an atheist who readily denied the existence of God.

However, things took a sudden twist when his wife converted to Christianity. When his wife first began attending church and talking about Jesus, Lee decided his marriage was going to be over. However, soon he began seeing positive changes in his wife’s character and values. He noted and observed a marked difference in the way she treated people and cared for others.

He then decided to put his professional investigative skills to work to research the life of Christ. From his investigation, based on scientific evidence, he became convinced that there’s indeed a Creator of the universe. And based on historical data, he became confident in Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. He was convinced perhaps more than anything else, through the practical evidence he saw in the transformation of his wife. And so in 1981, Strobel surrendered his life to Christ. Ever since he has written award winning books in defense of Christianity, including the bestseller ‘the case for Christ’, which has been turned into a drama film.

Matthew 5:16 says ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’

The real power to be a witness is in the evidence people see in our lives. We are the Gospel in motion. Every minute, every second, our life is a preaching a sermon. And what people hear and see from our actions, helps them draw a conclusion. Indeed our actions speak louder than our words and our life is our message to the world.

In the world today, the gross darkness is increasing as truth is no more absolute and there are now many shades of grey. Perversions such as; same sex marriage, bestiality, homosexuality etc, are fast becoming the norm. However, because light shines brightest in dark places, the negative state of the world is only an opportunity for our lights to shine brighter. This is when the light of Christ is needed the most. Therefore instead of complaining about the things that are wrong, let us shine Christ’s light the more.

In Genesis 1:3, God commanded light to shine when He saw the deplorable state of the earth. And today, as believers we have a responsibility to let God’s light shine as an answer to the darkness.

Isaiah 60;3 says that the Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

The light shining through us is what will attract men to God. This is why we must keep our fire burning and blazing hot. Psalm 104:4 says God makes His messengers winds, and His ministers a flaming fire. And in this end-time we are to be the light of the world and a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. God will bring people across our paths that need our light and Heaven will be counting on us to make the difference. It has been said that people may never remember what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel. This is why we need to let men feel the warmth and love of God shining through us, drawing them to Christ.

However, to be able to shine effectively we must first carry light within us. You can’t give what you don’t have. And it is the entrance of God’s Word that gives light. The more we fill our hearts with God’s Word, and maintain a fervent prayer life, the more His glory will manifest through us.

Just as when Moses came down from the place of fellowship with God, his face began to shine, as we spend time in God’s Presence, His Glory will rub off on us. And this manifestation of glory is what will attract men to the Gospel. As men see us live a life of faith and power, resulting in miracles, signs and wonders, surely they will be attracted to the God we serve.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to represent You well on earth by being a positive influence in the world around me. May my light so shine before men that they may see my good works and continually glorify You in Jesus Name.

Quote

It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. WORDBITE 222.

– WORDBITE 222.