What are you running on these days? As Christians we are called to let the light of Christ shine through us, I don’t know about you but I’m going to be real and say, there are sometimes when “this little light of mine” is more like a “dimmer” than a bright light. That is when you need to recognize that our oil is running low and we need to stop and get refilled by the One who is our source, time to spend time getting our lanterns refilled by the ONLY One who can do it. Jesus. Matthew 5:14-16 says:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”
Our strength is NOT our own, the parable of the 10 virgins is a good reference point. We can do NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING in and of our own accord or on our own strength. Our strength comes from Him! Peter says in 1 Peter 2:1-2:
“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
He is our sustenance. He is our source. He IS the light. John 8:12 is where Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Isaiah 42:6 says:
“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations…”
This morning when I woke up, I woke up feeling grumpy (not a good way to start the day…) and as I rolled out of bed, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me, “Be the light.” Honestly, what I wanted to do was roll back down into the bed and pull the covers over my head. But instead, I realized that my feeling that way was a sure fire sign that my scriptural “oil” in my lamp was running low and it was time for me to spend some time with Jesus and enter into prayer and into the Word.
I think it is important for us to always be aware of the need for our God. We NEED Him. I know I do… Not just “one day a week” but every moment, every second of our lives. Like oxygen, like food, like water. And it is important once we recognize the signs that our light is on dim that we need to fill up again on HIM. On His promises! On His Word! On His love!
Once you recognize that the only way that “little light” that abides in You can go from dim to bright is to spend time with the Lord. Let Him renew your mind. Fill you up again. There is peace and joy and love that comes from spending time with the Father. Sometimes we are so busy going about our Father’s business that we get “poured out” and we need to spend time allowing Him to pour back into us. Don’t fast from the Father, make sure that you spend time in prayer and in the reading of His Word. Let Him renew your mind.
Remember that we are in the middle of a spiritual war that is occurring ALL around us. If we don’t put on our spiritual armor as spoken about in Ephesians and spend time before the Father and in His Word we become weak and it is times like that where we start to walk in the flesh and not in the spirit. Ephesians 5:7-14:
“Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake sleeper and arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
As you pray and read the Word of God, the light of Christ within you will grow stronger. God knows He is your source, Oh how much the Father must love it when we listen to what He tells us to do because He knows that in doing so, it benefits us! (As you read these words do you feel the light of Christ within you growing stronger? I know I do!) Praise God for the fact that He has given us Holy Spirit to familiarize ourselves with the “tell tale signs” that our “oil is running low.” And for the wisdom and guidance He provides us with to know what we need to do to get filled up again. Recognize that we need to spend time with the Father, maybe He wants us to have a fresh word this day for someone? The only way to know what will strengthen the light of Christ is by spending time with Him. Abide with Him. Ephesians 3:14:
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
As I walk in obedience, recognizing that I need to be refilled, I turn it over to the Holy Spirit and can feel Him strengthening the light of Christ within me, enabling me to become stronger. “He is an EVER present help in time of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) As we turn to Him for guidance, He is the Helper that Jesus gave us before His Ascent. He brings to mind what we need in order to be refueled and refilled. As we turn to the One who is our strength and refuge, He fills us and makes us aware of what needs His touch. Once we are aware of what it is, we can acknowledge it and allow the Holy Spirit to do a work that will refill us. Sometimes the things He brings to our attention are things that He will use us to share with others, because you can BET you are not alone! Others may be feeling as you are! (Maybe that’s even YOU reading the words on this post right now!).
As I received sustenance by admitting how I am feeling, repenting of the things that Holy Spirit reveals to me that I need to repent of, praying and reading the Word of God, I dress myself in Word, I feed upon it and I lean on the One who is the TRUE light. As I do so, I become filled with such peace and joy knowing that my steps are ordained by Him. Knowing that He leads me and I follow. Knowing that I belong to Him. He is the Way, the Truth and the Light and He has called me His own. And it IS the same way with YOU. We need to recognize that we need to be in CONSTANT fellowship with Him. We need to NOT be led by what we are feeling, but be led by what we know, and what we know is that WE BELONG TO HIM. The LIGHT of Christ. The LIFTER of our Head. The WAYMAKER! The LOVER of our souls! As we recognize this and begin to praise Him for ALL that He is, ALL that He does and ALL that He is going to do, He fills us with WHATEVER we need to get through WHATEVER He allows to come our way!
“Father, we thank You for Your precious light. We thank You for indwelling Holy Spirit within us. We thank You for filling us this day. Please forgive us for our sins and wash us with the blood of Jesus. Please show us what areas within us needs a special touch from You. If there is anything that needs healing, please shine Your light upon it and heal it. If there is a lack or a need we ask that You reveal it to us that You may be glorified. Anything that needs changing, please show us and then help us to be open to any adjustments Holy Spirit needs to make deep within us so that Your light shines bright throughout us. You have called us to be the light! We love You Father. We desire to walk in Your light and we say yes and amen to allowing Holy Spirit to shine forth Your light in these lives that we have given back to You. Be glorified Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.”
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