August 2, 2024 Devo

August 2nd, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14 (NLT)
“You’re Magnetic”

There's something magnetic about a light. Moths flock to our porch lights and patio lights. Campfires have drawn cold and hungry humans for thousands of years. Or how about the person who stayed in the woods too long and finally sees the glow of a house or store through the trees? Magnetic.
Now say that word out loud with me. “Magnetic.” Is that a word that you would use to describe YOU? It should be. It’s one of the beautiful qualities of light that Jesus has designed for us to emit. There should be something about us that draws people, a warmth, a glow. There should be something about our faces, something about our nature, something about the way we speak and the way we act that has a “pull” on the hearts and lives of others.
In Isaiah 2:2 the prophet foretells that in the last days, people from all over the world will be streaming toward Jerusalem to worship. Most feel this is a prophecy about Jesus who was not only “high and lifted up,” but was also the “Light of the World.” He was the “City on a Hill.” Here in our passage today, He bestowed that honor on us.
Imagine with me for a moment living in such a way as Christ-followers that people streamed to us the way they streamed to Jesus. They came for healing. They came for comfort. They came for forgiveness. They came hungry and hurting, lost and lonely, and broken and battered. They came confused, rejected, and without hope. Why did they come to Him? His Light drew them. Wherever He went, He shone as the healing, redeeming, inspiring, comforting Light of God.
That’s your opportunity today. Everywhere you go today, there are people who need the light that you have within you. As the Spirit of God shines through you, don’t be shocked if they seem drawn to you. That love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control emit a safe place for people to pause and rest. Let Jesus love them through you. Let His Spirit bring them hope and encouragement through you. I know it may feel overwhelming, and you may even find yourself saying, “Why does everybody want to tell ME their problems?” It’s simple. You are the light of Jesus in this world. And that makes you magnetic. That’s God’s Word for you today.