Hope Unwrapped: The Light of the World

The other night, I went through the house and turned on every light. Then I built big black boxes and put one over each light to stymie the glow. My work was done. I had turned the lights on and then covered them over so their glow could not be seen. You say, “Ridiculous!” That’s exactly what Jesus said.

Matthew 5:14-15 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

People don’t light a lamp so they can cover it up. Light fixtures are meant to give off light and dispel the darkness. People light their lamps and place them on a stand so that the house can be illumined. Because of Jesus, you are the light of the world. Put aside your fears. Pray for strength and courage. The world needs light and is desperate to know the hope that only Jesus can provide! Be the light! Shine bright! Father, through Christ, you have made us to shine. Don’t let us cover over or diminish the light of Christ. In his name, we pray. Amen.  I invite you to join us tomorrow—January 1—as we start a journey through seven books of the Bible. These books will reveal how God is writing his story in you.  We will study:

• Genesis: God’s Story in You (January/February)
• Job: God’s Story in Our Suffering (March/April)
• Isaiah: God’s Story in Our Renewal (May/June)
• John: God’s Story in Our Savior (July/August)
• Romans: God’s Story in Our Identity (September/October)
• Revelation: God’s Story in Our Eternity (November/December)

I will provide daily teaching through each book and questions to guide you in your personal time with God. After the study of each book, we will consider selected Psalms—the worship book of the Old Testament—to help us learn to talk with God in a personal way. Our desire is to offer an interactive study, so at the end of each day’s teaching there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions. We have a team ready to respond in a timely and personal manner. We will also host periodic zoom calls to discuss each book.   We have designed this study to make it available for your season of life. You can sit down with a cup of coffee, your Bible, and a journal, or you can listen to the teaching on your way to work, or even during your workout. One mom told me that she listened to the devos with her children around the breakfast table. Again—the main purpose is this—let’s engage in God’s Word together!