TODAYS
WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2013.
SHOW
UP
DEFINITION:
Allow
to be seen; exhibit; appear; perform.
SCRIPTURE:
"Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
There
was a time that a certain city in America (we will leave it nameless) was known
as one of the most hostile cities toward the preaching of the gospel. Talking
about Jesus was taboo and witchcraft was promoted. Posters in coffee shops advertized
witchcraft meetings where you could learn to cast a spell on your enemies.
Literally
on every corner there were porno shops and evil was rampant. It was such a
challenging and intimidating environment for the people that lived there who
desired to serve the Lord. The churches struggled because they were unable to
announce their programs outside of their church buildings and they could not
get building permits. There was a lot of
"woe is me" talk among the church leaders. When Satan is in control evil
abounds.
Finally,
a group of pastors decided to meet together each morning to pray for their city
and the people that lived in the city. Soon, as a group, they felt that God was
leading them to take action and SHOW UP for their city. They started ministries
to the needy. Faithfully and intentionally they brought the love of Jesus to
the needs of hurting people. Simply said, they decided TO SHOW UP BEFORE THEY
SPOKE UP.
They
soon learned that if they practiced what they believed to be God's first and
foremost desire, to reach out to help the poor, that their actions and their
prayers brought positive results for the churches and for the Lord. Their
positive actions touched enough lives in their community that soon they had a
voice that many listened to and they began to make a spiritual impact on that
community.
Now
how does this apply to our lives today? No one really wants to hear what we say
about the love of Jesus until they have seen it in our lives. That is what
Jesus is telling us in the verse we have written above from Matthew. When you
let your light shine so others can see Jesus through your words and actions
then they will listen as you tell them about Jesus. Your consistent and
positive God honoring words and deeds will allow you to SHOW UP with authority
that only God can give you.
Let
us remind you that light does not shine to be seen, but to enable others to
see. For us, who are believers, we are to let our light shine that our lives
are to be seen but that others may see Christ through us. Jesus said, as
recorded in Matthew 5:14 that, "You are the light of the world. A city on
a hill cannot be hidden" We should let our light shine so others see
Christ through us and in us. We cannot expect to have a convincing testimony of
God’s grace and saving power if we are not living a godly life.
Matthew
compares a godly life to a city set on a hill. The lights of a city on a hill
can be seen for miles in the darkness of the night. If we live for Christ then
we will shine like a light in a dark world. Are you a shining light for Christ
or have you been unplugged from your power source?
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse for this week is found in Psalms 100:4
Enter
into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful
unto Him, and bless His name.
PRAYER:
Help
me to understand afresh the concept that I am to be the light of my world to
glorify Your name. May I be like that city on a hill whose light cannot be
hidden because my light shines so brightly as a testimony of who You are.
