Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
Every day we should ask the Lord how we can better serve him. The illustration here tells us Jesus is the Light of the World. He meant that. The world is in pitch black darkness. While unsaved, the Light shined on us and it brought conviction. It made us feel uncomfortable. What bothered me was not so much the Light as what it uncovered.
The least thought of thing at our homes is the light bulb. No one ever comes in and says “what a pretty light bulb.” Yet instantly when a light is switched on, a dark room has light. Back in Jesus’ day there was no electricity, only candles and oil lamps. At evening they trimmed the wicks. One was placed in each room and even carried from room to room to give light. A candle does no good unlit. We hardly think about it. Have you ever thanked a light bulb for coming on? No. You comment on the light because of the bulb.
We think too much of ourselves. We get in our way of shining the Light in us. What good is it if it doesn’t? Are we having lamp trouble? Or light switch trouble? Jesus is the Light of the World. The devil will never put him out. However, we are to let him shine through us. We have to maintain the lamp. Many houses have burned down because lights were not cared for. Negligence can cause surrounding material to catch on fire. What a waste of ability to shine ourselves instead of Jesus. We have no other light to shine outside of Jesus Christ. He can steadily shine for the lost to be drawn to him. We were drawn because someone else’s light shined and brought us out of darkness.
There is no trouble with Jesus. He won’t fail us. He’ll be there. The trouble with our light is the appliance. We have to keep the light turned on, keep the screws tightened in our relationship with the Lord. Are you dim then bright then dim? It’s time to troubleshoot, no matter what the cost. We need the light for ourselves and for others. We are the only Bible others may ever read. We’re all witnesses of the Word. Because his lamp wasn’t dim, Philip was able to guide the Ethiopian eunuch to salvation.
No one lights a candle and puts it in a secret place. If the only place you had light bulbs was in your closet, what good would it do you? You don’t live in your closet. So why keep Jesus hid? He ought to be in every room as a light for everyone to see. How clearly can people see Jesus in us? Do they have to strain to see him? When your tongue speaks, do they see Jesus? Do they see him by where you go? By expressions on your face? When you think of Jesus, does your countenance change? People notice your countenance. They notice how we respond in crisis. Can they see Jesus? Is the light murky or foggy?
Does the appliance need service? The best place for that is an altar of prayer. When we have a good light fixture, the bulb will shine. Unless a candle is struck by a match it won’t burn. An oil lamp won’t burn without oil. Patch up the cracks. Trim the wicks. Fix the wiring. Jesus is waiting to shine. There is no trouble with the Light, only the candlestick. Do the work needed to truly let your light shine!
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 