Dearly Beloved Children Children of the Light

Dearly Beloved Children

Children of the Light

Kids love flashlights.

But they are not good

at shining it in the right places.

 There is a saying,

“The one with the flashlight is the leader.”

I have a good friend that hates that phrase.

He would say,

“Not everyone knows how to use a flashlight.”

Flashlights seem to be so easy to use,

even most children can turn one on.

But have you ever seen a child

with a flashlight?

They are so fascinated with the light,

they don’t think about where they shine it.

A flashlight in the hands of a child goes everywhere;

if you are walking down a dark trail,

the light one minute will be on the path

and the next second in the trees

or in your face.

You can have a flashlight in a dark woods,

but if it is in the hands of a child,

you could be in for a rough night.

Our loving Father says,

we are to be children of light.

We are to expose the deeds of darkness.

I think if we look around us

we will find,

we don’t handle the light of God well.

Many of us are too passive

to focus the light on deeds of darkness

long enough to make a difference.

While others shine the light

in the eyes of the offender,

rather than on the wrong they are doing.

Handling the light takes skill and discipline.

You and I are given the light

to expose shameful acts of disobediences.

We are not to close our eyes

and go to sleep

as if nothing is wrong.

We are to be awake in the night

and accurately point the light

on the problem. 

The light is God’s Word,

which not only exposes the problem,

but tells us how to deal with it.

Your light consists of

Goodness,

Righteousness,

and Truth

Use the light skillfully.

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 5:8-14 NIV

8 For you were once darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light

9(for the fruit of the light consists in all

goodness, righteousness and truth)

10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

11 Have nothing to do with

the fruitless deeds of darkness,

but rather expose them.

12 For it is shameful even to mention

what the disobedient do in secret.

13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,

14 for it is light that makes everything visible.

This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you."

Matthew 3:1-3 NIV

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came,

preaching in the Desert of Judea

2 and saying,

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

"A voice of one calling in the desert,

'Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.'"  

Mark 6:17-18 NIV

17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested,

and he had him bound and put in prison.

He did this because of Herodias,

his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.

18 For John had been saying to Herod,

"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Psalm 43:3-4 NIV

3 Send forth your light and your truth,

let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

4 Then will I go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the harp,

O God, my God.

Psalm 119:105-107 NIV

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

that I will follow your righteous laws.

107 I have suffered much;

preserve my life, O LORD,

 according to your word.