M-G: 4.1.13 // This Little Light of Mine

Along the seashore were thousands of starfish that had been washed up on the beach during a recent storm. One elderly man was seen delicately picking up a starfish one at a time and wading out waist-deep in the surf and releasing it into the water. He did this repeatedly unaware that anyone was paying any attention to what he was doing. There were a couple of young boys who had been observing him for some time and could no longer contain themselves. They approached the fragile man and asked him with a spirit of incredulity and sarcasm, “Old man, do you think that by your actions you are going to make any difference since the whole beach is covered with starfish? They’ll all be dead if they are not already dead before you can get to them all!” The old man calmly replied while gently holding a starfish in his hand, “Whether my actions will make a difference or not, I will leave that for you to judge; but to this one starfish, it will make all the difference in the world,” and turned and walked back into the water.

Don’t you think that doing something has always been better than doing nothing? Whether or not we think we are making an impact in a lost and dying world through our typically unglamorous lives, we are still called to be a witness to the inner reality of the One who lives within us, the Holy Spirit of God (Gal 4:6; Eph 1:13; 4:30; Rom 5:5; 8:9). I think of Noah who preached of righteousness and judgment for one hundred and twenty years while he and his sons constructed the ark (Heb 11:7; 2 Pet 2:5). Did his light really matter; for there is no record of even one person outside his immediate family buying into his message (Mt 24:38; Lk 17:27, note "all")...

Of the probable billions on the face of the earth during the Genesis flood, only eight survived (1 Pet 3:20; Gen 7:7). Even though Noah was a just man, perfect in his "generations" (he was 600 years of age when the waters covered the earth, Gen 7:6), and walked with God (Gen 6:9), the world of his day ignored him as irrelevant. I believe that Lot compromised his witness for God in Sodom and escaped with only his two daughters before the cities of the fertile plains were destroyed (2 Pet 2:7). 

He conducted business with those people day after day, but they didn’t change their lifestyle (cf. Lk 17:28-29, note "all"). Even Lot’s sons-in-law considered him irrelevant when he warned them of the judgment to come (Gen 19:14). Only Joshua and Caleb of the generation older than nineteen years of age at the time of the great rebellion managed to enter the Promised Land after leaving Egypt (Num 14:29,30; 26:65; 32:12). Their findings from the reconnaissance mission led them to believe that conquest was achievable, but their opinion was considered as irrelevant to a worldly-minded people who had been miraculously delivered out of Egypt and witnessed incredible things from the LORD up to this point. The  “can do” spirit of Joshua and Caleb (cf. Num 14:24) were essentially snuffed out due to the fears of the other ten spies being relayed to the people concerning the difficulties in conquering the land due to the walled cities and giants in the land (Num 13:28, 33)! 

Unbelief had strewn the dead bodies of over 600,000 men of war (Num 14:32, 33; Deut 2:14; 1 Cor 10:5) during the next forty years of wandering in the wilderness (Num 14:34). Joshua, Caleb, and Moses had to put up with the faith failures of a fearful and untrusting people until all those males who were twenty years of age or older during the great refusal that followed the debriefing of the spies were all dead (Num 14:29). Not until then (cf. Deut 2:16) would God allow the Israelites to begin the conquest. Moses was not allowed to cross over for another reason due to the Kadesh mishap (Num 20:10, 11, 12).

When Jesus indicated that the gate that leads to life is narrow and the way difficult and few will find it (Mt 7:14), but the way that leads to destruction is broad and its gate is wide, and there are many who go through it (Mt 7:13), even Jesus Himself and His message were/are viewed as irrelevant by the “many” (cf. 1 Cor 2:14). And He is the Light (Jn 8:12)!

You might be thinking, “What differences will my little light make in a world shrouded in spiritual darkness that considers Christianity irrelevant? Nobody wants to be considered irrelevant, but this comes with the territory of being a witness for God. The truth is we are very relevant, but the world doesn't see it that way. Of course, they don't see their need for salvation either. God doesn’t spell out the actual differences we will make; that will come later in eternity. We get hints of this difference by doing works of gold, silver, and precious stones qualities or eternal in nature or those things done in the will of God (cf. Eccl 3:14). 

He simply tells us to let our light shine before others so they will see our good works bringing glory to Him (Mt 5:16). Why does God have me investing time and energy into a blog that goes out into cyberspace along with multiplied millions of other blogs of different sorts? M-g is like a needle in a haystack! “Am I wasting my time?” I have often wondered if I am making any difference, but I always get the same answer, “Simply obey Me and leave the results up to Me.”

Jesus died to atone for the penalty of sin for all of mankind, knowing right well that few will find eternal life, but He died for all anyway leaving the choice to accept or reject His offer of salvation with the individual. What difference did He make as the Light for the billions who have rejected His message and for those today and in the future that will die without Christ? I guess it depends on your outlook. For me, washed up on the seashore, spiritually dead in trespasses and sin, it made all the difference in the world when I cried out, and He picked me up by His grace and redeemed me from the sands of sin and set my feet upon a rock so that I might glorify Him, enjoy Him, and tell others about Him (cf. 2 Cor 4:6, 7).

I think that the forces of evil would rather for us keep our light from shining by questioning the futility of the effort to glow. After all, there are billions dying in the world, and we couldn’t possibly rescue them all, like in the starfish story. Our demonic foes would rather convince us of “What’s the use? What is one out of so many?” and do nothing rather than something. Their malefic agenda is nothing short of preventing others from coming to the Light due to personal unbelief (cf. 2 Cor 4:4). We need to let our light shine, and leave the results up to God, who is the only One who can make all the difference in the world. Perhaps our life should personify to a degree the future glory of Jerusalem, 

Isa 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

Isa 60:2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

Remember the song, “This Little Light of Mine.”

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Won't let Satan blow it out.
I'm gonna let it shine.
Won't let Satan blow it out.
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel - NO!
I'm gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel - NO!
I'm gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine over the whole wide world,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine over the whole wide world,
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

We need to take our little light and let it shine, don’t we? Whether or not it will make any difference in the grander scheme of things is up to God Almighty. He just wants us to be a witness for Him during our sojourn. You might ask, "How do we shine?" Simple obedience to His will, which is always according to His Word, is what radiates the Light and gives us the privilege to shine so that others might see the truth. In this way radiating light speaks louder than persuasive words and allows those in darkness to see the power of redemption and transformation of a child of light through our good works bringing glory to our Father who is in heaven. There is a kind of bleakness in this glowing for God's glory, however. It is the unperceived difference that can be at times discouraging to the point we may be tempted to throw in the towel, saying, "What's the use?" This we must never do for if we are not emanating the light of Christlikeness, darkened souls will only see darkness.

From our perspective, Noah’s light or obedience didn’t make much of a difference in the world around him, but it did save his family, preserve the Messianic line, and pass on the wonderful truths of God experienced by the godly line of Seth. Therein are the expansive blessings of his faithfulness to God, blessings we enjoy today! However, in all fairness to Noah, he was living in a very rebellious civilization (Gen 6:5), and yet, he chose to walk with God rather than the ways of the world! Our relationship to God is indeed personal in nature, but is never said to be private or kept to one's self, hence, Matthew 5:16! So shine your light before men that they may see your good works (fruit of redemption)!

One thing is for sure that we do know; if we fail to allow our light to shine, which is neither a covert nor silent witness, we won’t make a difference at all, like Lot, winding up a miserable and righteous failure. He never participated in their evil deeds but once he was forced to make a spiritual evaluation of their behavior, he was accused of judging, and Sodomites quickly turned on Lot (cf. Gen 19:7, 9). Whether our light makes a difference to anyone else, it will make a difference for us, like Noah, which will radiate throughout all eternity. 

We need to make a difference by allowing our light to shine at work, at home, at play, and everywhere else we go. Maybe that beaming light will keep us out of the dark places we shouldn’t be, yes? There’s a difference right there! Unless it makes a difference in you, you won’t make an eternal difference anywhere to anyone, or yourself which is nothing but plain old rebellion, "Shine" is in the imperative mode; yeah, it's a command. You simply become a bystander or spectator taking up space and mocking the effort due to a critical, cynical spirit toward those trying to make a difference in the life of someone else. 

As for this little light of mine, well, I’m gonna let it shine to make a difference in me and hopefully in the world around me come rain or shine, God willing. How about you? So shine for God, for yourself, for your family, for your friends, for your colleagues, for your acquaintances, for anybody, and make a difference one way or another that will carry over into eternity. That simple act of kindness by that older gentleman on the beach that day made all the difference in the world for those starfish he was able to rescue, how much more the souls of men! <><