Saturday, November 17, 2018

Lights in the World

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

Philippians 2:14–16

In November of 1905, a massive storm swept across the Great Lakes, damaging or sinking nearly thirty freighters on Lake Superior. Business and shipping owners went to Congress and obtained funding to build the Split Rock Lighthouse north of Duluth, Minnesota, to warn ships of the dangerous rocks along the shoreline. The lighthouse was built on a cliff overlooking the spot where two different ships had been driven aground, a region one writer called “the most dangerous piece of water in the world.” The light burned steadily until 1969 when GPS and satellite navigation gave ships the ability to determine their exact location on the lake.

The world we inhabit is a dangerous place, filled with temptations and lures that lead people astray. Many pass on through life heedlessly, ignoring the immediate and eternal dangers that surround them. They sail into the storms, only to find themselves hopelessly lost and headed for disaster. In those dark moments, it is critical that they have a point of warning and hope that shows them the way to safety and deliverance.

That is the role God has called us to play in the world. We have the only hope for those lost on the sea of the world and headed for eternal destruction, and we must be certain that our light shines brightly for those who need to see it. Jesus commanded, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Every Christian has a responsibility to be a light of truth and love to the world around him.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)