People are hurting. They are suffering. Can you feel their pain? Can you feel their hurt inside? We talk about the love of God a lot in the church, but how often do we ignore those who need that love the most. Sinners lurk in the shadows to commit their sins. Jesus said we are salt and light. Light dispels darkness.
Sometimes hurting people try to find comfort in sin. It may work for a while. Offering temporary relief in the form of short-term pleasure. When the pleasure ends, the pain is still there. Often sin only makes things worse causing more pain like addiction, harsh consequences and condemnation.
What good is light if it remains shut up in our cathedrals, but never gets out in the darkness. Believers are scared of the dark. Sinners love the dark. That is where they practice their evil deeds. They find security in the dark thinking no one can see what they are doing. Holy God sees.
John 3:19-21 (NASB)
19 "This is the judgment, that the
Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light,
for their deeds were evil.
20
"For everyone
who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his
deeds will be exposed.
21
"But he who
practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as
having been wrought in God."
Sinners hate the light for fear of being exposed. Think of the light like a lighthouse. Shining through the black velvet of night, warning ships in the dark of the dangers around them. In that instance, the lighthouse is a source of comfort and safety. The lighthouse shines through stormy nights, tumultuous seas, and even to those on pleasure cruises who ignore the warning or take it for granted.
Jesus invaded the darkness of planet earth to help hurting people. He sends His people into the darkest corners of the planet to shine light. His light. We are like His lighthouses pushing through the darkness and showing people the way to the Father. We are to light the path for hurting people to find deliverance, salvation, and wholeness in Jesus. We are to shine both warning and pointing people to a to safety.
Sadly, some hide their light. Embarrassed they do not want to shine in the dark culture. Some refuse to leave the safety of their hold huddles. They still shine among others who are shining. They refuse to leave the huddle to shine in dark places. Others have plunged so deep into the muck and mire of sin their light is covered with the filth and no longer shines brightly.
God wants us to shine like lighthouses. Piercing through the darkness. Warning people of the approaching danger and comforting those lost on the seas of life. We are to shine continually for passing wayfarers. Shine through the night to expose darkness and show hurting people the way home. Home for the hurting engulfed in darkness is safe harbor in Jesus. May we go and shine to guide as many as possible to that harbor.
- Is your light shining or have you hidden it?
- Are you scared of the dark or do you intentionally shine in the dark to help the hurting?
- What dark corner might God send you to shine for Him?
- Can you think of one hurting person engulfed in darkness for whom you could be a lighthouse? Commit to shine to lead them to safe harbor in Jesus.
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