Walk of Life – Day 13 – September 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs 13:9 : The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. (KJV)
Light has been used in several contexts in the Bible. Here, the light of the righteous and the lamp of the wicked are mentioned. It is believed that in ancient Israel, it was a practice to light the lamp when evening sets in and the lamp should never go out. The housewives will ensure that the lamp keeps burning and if the lamp is quenched it was a bad omen. Proverbs 4:18 (NLT) says “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day”. When you wake up early in the morning, there is a bleak light, not bright but as the sun rises and it is morning, the light is bright and shining. The way of the righteous also may begin as a small glimpse of light but as we follow the Lord Jesus and walk in His ways, His light shines through us and one day we will be transformed into His likeness.
The New Living Translation states ” The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.” This is so beautiful…a righteous man’s life is filled with light, there is no darkness at all. We accept the Lord Jesus Christ and His light fills our hearts. Sin is cleansed but as long as we live in this world, sin keeps showing its ugly face. We need to be continually washed by His blood and by the Word of God so that our lives may continue to radiate Christ in all His fullness. We have different degrees of light bulbs, some are very dim, some give some amount of light, but I believe when you have Christ, your life should be bright and shining.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
When we put on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, we must be like lights to this darkened world and not let the darkness of this world enter our hearts and quench the burning lamp. It is very important to understand that we reflect that which we seek approval. If you are seeking the approval of man, you will reflect darkness not light, only if your eyes are focused on the fact that one day you want to hear the master say “Well done my good and faithful servant” will you reflect the light of the Lord Jesus. Remember my friend, the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out. If you allow satan to blow out your light, then it becomes impossible to shine. I love the lyrics of this song:
“Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world”
The Lord Jesus has kept each of us in our little corners to light it up bright and shining for the world to see our good deeds and glorify our father in heaven. Shine for Jesus!!
