I Samuel 2:22-4:22, John 5:24-47, Psalms 106: 1-12, Proverbs 14:30-31
I wish I remembered where I was exactly…I know it was a conference (work? Church? Concert?) But I have a memory of sitting in an area…thousands of people there, and we all sang a song in unison, word by word. Not the national anthem, not "Sweet Caroline," not "Amazing Grace." I remember singing "This Little Light of Mine," thinking that there were so many people around me, singing this song, who did not know God the way I did. According to Wikipedia it was written circa 1920, and there are over 400,000 videos posted on YouTube connected to this song. The verses include "Hide it under a bushel, No! I'm gonna let it shine…Don't let Satan blow it out…I'm gonna let it shine…"
I loved the verse in John 5:35 where Jesus said, "John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light." John the Baptist was the messenger sent to get the scene ready for Jesus. and he had followers who heard the good news. Jesus called him a "lamp," the words he had "gave light," to a generation that lived in darkness. The lamp is an illustration used before, Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." We are called to be the light of the world and these are all the images that we can draw from. A light in the darkness, coming from the word…based on the word!
I have this quote written in my Bible, and I'm pretty sure in was John Wesley who said it, but I could be wrong. All I know is that I think of it often and love it's meaning. It goes, "Catch on fire and others will love to come watch you burn." Just like John the Baptist, we can be living a life like a lamp…burning and giving the light of Christ. By catching on fire…a fire that is passionate and in love with God, we burn, and people will be attracted at what's different. They will see the love of God and sets us apart from others. Shine.
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