May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 15:13, NIV

Shoulders tense, I lean forward as I navigate the narrow, icy road. There are no painted lines to guide me, and even my bright headlights let me see only a few feet ahead. Then a truck turns onto the road ahead of me, and by following its lights, I see my way. I have a guide giving me direction.

Are you in the dark? When the Israelites were in the desert, God gave them a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to follow. It was clear that he was guiding them, and yet they grumbled and worried because they could only see the immediate direction, but didn’t know the big picture—they weren’t in control.

God gives us a light to follow, though it is usually more subtle than the Israelites’ pillar of fire. He is our guide. Sometimes He asks us to be the truck whose lights lead the way for others to follow. Sometimes we are the ones in the car following in the truck’s wake, but in either case:
It is God’s light that we follow.

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16, MSG

• Do you know what type of light God is calling you to be in the dark?
  • Are you a spotlight to expose sins?
  • A flashlight to lead someone through the darkness?
  • A candle that is the first introduction of light into someone’s life?

God’s light is a contant–always shining in you, always available to fill you so full that it shines out of your face, your words, your hands, and your actions. His light may shine from you in a variety of ways that depend on the circumstances.

Draw a picture(s) of how you have reflected God’s light to those around you.

Pray with me: Lord, thank you for the light you shine on the pathways of my life. Help me not to try to keep your light all for myself, but to hold it up so that all can see. It is your strength and fuel that keep the light burning. Help me to remember to live in strong relationship with you and not to try to go my own way, to do things in my own strength. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen