Create a circle of light

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”

Our Bible verse for today: “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Create a circle of light”

This morning, I want to build upon what we have been thinking about in the last several devotionals. On Monday and Tuesday I wrote about the sad state of affairs in our nation with respect to morals, ethics, and Biblical standards. I noted that as a nation we have been on a long slippery slope and that things are getting worse not better. In yesterday’s devotional we thought about the fact that love at its best is a verb – an action word. And we learned that originally Valentine’s Day was intended to spur Christians to engage in acts service that share the love of Jesus with hurting and needy people.

All of that reminded me of a story Nik Ripkin told in his book “The Insanity of God.” Nik was telling about how desperate the humanitarian crisis was in Somalia in those days, and how dark and oppressive the spiritual situation was. It was a difficult and dangerous environment for the Christian missionaries and their national partners, and it got to the point where they were physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. Also, they were all doubting the effectiveness of their efforts. It seemed to them that they were not gaining any ground in terms of meeting the physical or spiritual needs of the people.

Nik said that after much time spent in prayer trying to understand their situation, he came to the realization that their job in that dark and desperate place was to create what he called “little circles of light in this vast void of darkness.” Each of them was to go out and shine the light of Jesus through their acts of humanitarian assistance, enveloping those they encounter in their little circle of light.

Our situation here in the USA is certainly not that dark or desperate, but Nik’s strategy is still a good one for us too. As we consider the sad state of our society today, and the prospect of things getting progressively worse, it can seem as if ours is a lost cause. That being the case, it can seem unlikely that any of us as individuals would be able to make much of a difference. That could be discouraging. But we need to remember that God isn’t calling us as individuals to solve the big problems ourselves. He’s only calling us to create little circles of light everywhere we go, impacting the person in front of us at that moment, enveloping them in our little circle of light.

By yourself, you can’t solve the big problems. But you can make a difference in one life at a time. You can make a difference in the life of that person standing in front of you right now. So, don’t get discouraged. Just do your best to make a difference in one life at a time. Create your own little circle of light and draw people into it. Let your light shine for Jesus.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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