By Pastor Bob DeKlavon
Think about this prayer:
“While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect Him on earth,
While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise.”
Years ago I was given the book, The Valley of Vision: a Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. This year, I've chosen to read it as a part of my devotional reading for each day. With all that we are facing this has proved quite providential. Many of the prayers and thoughts are resonating now in ways they may not have otherwise.
The one above reminds me of the opportunity we have to reflect Jesus.
As Christians, we must remember that when things seem dark the light shines the brightest.
How often is this played out at a candlelight service when all the lights are turned off?
As dark as it may get, still one candle breaks through the darkness.
John 1 tells us that Jesus “was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overpower it.”
But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He will be gone and what happens to the light then?
To His disciples Jesus offered an incredible image of US being lights in the world. In what is called the Sermon on the Mount we find the following:
“YOU {emphasized} are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Over the years, my family has enjoyed road trips. Some of these have required driving in isolated areas late at night. As we drive—small at first, but then more pronounced the closer we get—is light. Alligator Alley in Florida had what we called the tower of light. Coming around a turn in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we were amazed at the lights we could see. Driving to Chattanooga, there was a house on a hill whose light shone forth for miles before we got to it.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
And so Jesus offers words in Matthew 5:16, which my church has heard many times:
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”
It IS in darkness that the light shines brightest. My prayer is that as the world faces this dark and unknown time—that God’s people will reflect His light. The goal is not for people to think highly of us. The goal is that they will see Jesus—THE Light of the World—letting His light shine through us.
So “While Jesus is representing {us} in heaven, may {we} reflect him on earth.”