August 3, 2024 Devo

As I read our passage today, I thought of the words from the MercyMe song, “Say I Won’t”: “Today, it all begins. I'm seeing my life for the very first time through a different lens. Yesterday, I didn't understand. Driving 35 with the rocket inside, didn't know what I had. While I’ve been waiting to live, my life’s been waiting on me”
Sometimes I think this is how Jesus feels about us. He’s put this rocket called the Holy Spirit inside of us so that we can illuminate, inspire, and impact this world, but we keep it hidden inside. We do the exact opposite of what He says in our passage. “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.” Oh, don’t they? I think that many of us hide that lamp of God every day.
We hide it under a blanket of bad attitudes. How can people see the light of hope and joy when we hide it under a wet blanket of negativity and criticism? How can people see the light of love and healing when we hide it in a shell of anger and animosity? Sometimes I feel as if every Christ-follower needs to re-read the fruit of the Spirit descriptions before we leave the house because it’ll be a wonderful day when the people of God discover that being “holy” also means being “nice.”
We hide that light under a bucket of fear, doubt, and laziness. The Spirit of God that is within us is a Spirit of POWER. It is a Spirit that gives us gifts to use and opportunities to use them. But we get so consumed with our inabilities that we can’t see that it is GOD working through us! It was the very fact that the disciples were “unschooled, ignorant fishermen” that shocked those watching them and pointed all their ministry success back to Jesus.
My friend, YOU have a rocket inside that needs to be lit and let go. It’s time to shed those attitudes that are keeping the light of Jesus from shining through. It’s time to believe what God can do through you and with you if you’ll just take a step of faith. While you’re waiting to live, Jesus Christ is waiting to live through you. Let’s light it up! That’s God’s Word for you today.