In Christ - I am the salt of the earth and the light of the world

I am the salt of the earth and the light of the world...

Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  

January 5, 2013
Daily Devotional – Charles Spurgeon/Alistair Begg 

Reflecting on Light
 “And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.”  Genesis 1:4

“Light might well be good since it sprang from that fiat of goodness, ‘Let there be light.’ We who enjoy it should be more grateful for it than we are, and see more of God in it and by it. Physical light is said by Solomon to be sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal things and ministers to our immortal natures. When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual light and opens our eyes to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we behold sin in its true colors, and ourselves in our real position; we see the Most Holy God as He reveals Himself, the plan of mercy as He propounds it, and the world to come as the Word describes it. Spiritual light has many beams and prismatic colors, but whether they be knowledge, joy, holiness, or life, all are divinely good. If the light received be thus good, what must the essential light be, and how glorious must be the place where He reveals Himself. O Lord, since light is so good, give us more of it, and more of Yourself, the true light.

“No sooner is there a good thing in the world than a division is necessary. Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them--let us not confound them. Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of darkness. The children of the day must be sober, honest, and bold in their Lord's work, leaving the works of darkness to those who will dwell in it forever.

“Our churches should by discipline divide the light from the darkness, and we should by our distinct separation from the world do the same. In judgment, in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must discern between the precious and the vile, and maintain the great distinction that the Lord made upon the world's first day.

“O Lord Jesus, be our light throughout the whole of this day, for Your light is the light of men.”

Do you remember the song “This little light of mine – I’m gonna’ let it shine?”  It was a favorite song in Sunday School and VBS – and it’s probably still being sung by children all around the world!  The simple truth of that song is this – God has given us spiritual light, and by that light we have been guided out of the darkness of this world.  AND by that light we’re to help guide others out of that same darkness.  We can only do that when we are “turned on” – much like a flashlight is useless when it’s turned off, we offer no light to those around us if we’re not daily “plugged in” to our power source and making every effort to caste a bright light into our environment.  How bright is your light today?  Have you been plugging in – daily – to the source of power?  Are you consistently and faithfully avoiding the darkness in your own life?  God hasn’t asked us to leave this world (yet!) – but He REQUIRES that we do not walk as those who are without the light.  We can shine our lights INTO the darkness – but we cannot be effective if we are choosing to walk/play/persist in the darkness of this world.   Be the light of the world God has called you to be today!  Sharon