DARKNESS CANNOT STAMP OUT LIGHT UNLESS IT IS ALLOWED

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.—Matthew 5:16
 
When God created the heavens and the earth, the first recorded words that He spoke were, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3 emphasis added).  Light is what illuminates the darkness, makes something visible and to make something easier to understand.  Jesus said “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46 emphasis added).  Jesus, the light of the world, is not a temporal light that can be turned on and off.  He is not like a light switch. 
 
Science has discovered that light travels and that it is a continuum—it goes on and on and on…. He is the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end.   No darkness can destroy God’s plan for eternity. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5 emphasis added).  
 
When Jesus comes into your life, it is His light that descends into you.  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).   If there is darkness in any area of your life, do not settle for it.  Do not allow sickness, fear, doubt, worry or anything else to cloud your light.   Darkness cannot stamp out light unless it is allowed.  Do not settle for a flickering of light in your life.  Let the light of Jesus to continually shine through you.

 
God uses people to guide others to their destination.  Philip, the evangelist, is an example of a person used by God to guide someone else, “And he [the eunuch] said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Read the full account in Acts 8:26-40).  Light does not put its finger in people’s faces condemning them.  Light always guides.   “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).  True light will always guide you to Jesus.  If you are following a light that is not pointing you to Jesus, you are, then, following the wrong light. 
 
Prayer—Father I thank You that You sent Jesus to be the light of the world and that light now lives and shines through me.  Today I purpose to allow my light to shine in a greater way then it ever has before so that others may see You, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

THE LENIENT CHRISTIAN

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?  For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”—2 Corinthians 2:14-17
In today’s society the word lenient has taken on the meaning of being tolerant of misbehavior, or being lax.  However, some years ago the word was thought of as being merciful or compassionate and in some dictionaries it was defined as an emollient.  If you are like me when I think of the word emollient, I think of something that soothing.  For example, like a cream that you can put on dry skin. 
I think that this is a good word for us to be reminded of, as Christians.  As Christians, we carry the oil of the Holy Spirit that is soothing and healing.   We are carriers of mercy and compassion in a world that is in darkness.  Darkness cannot comprehend what you and I as Christians possess.  As born-again Christians, we are the light in the world.  Scripture tells us that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:1-5). And then in Philippians 2:15 we find, “…, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”
I encourage you today to ponder what being lenient really means in Biblical terms.  A good place to start is studying what is called the “Be Attitudes” in Matthew 5-7.  There you will find the attitudes of an emollient individual who knows that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  As you ponder and study these attitudes of a “lenient” Christian, your faith will grow stronger and the gap will widen between light and darkness in your life. 
Remember people are drawn to the light, so expect opportunities to share the light that is in you with those who come near you.  You be that fragrant oil that brings joy and gladness and brings soothing relief, in someone’s life.
Prayer—Heavenly Father I thank You for Your light living in me and for the oil of Your Holy Spirit.  I ask You to help me today to bring Your sweet fragrance of love and peace into someone’s life today, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.