Bright light….bright light! If you remember the 1984 movie Gremlins then you know what I am referring to in the above phrase.

However, in today’s message I’m not showcasing the little cute fictional creature named Gizmo who was resistant to light rather, I am highlighting a very important command that Jesus introduced in Matthew 5:16.

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” He explained that no one lights a lamp just to hide it under a basket. A lamp is meant to be placed on a stand to give light to everything around it. Whether you’re timid (introverted) or outgoing (extroverted), you’re called to be a light to the people around you.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is called “the true light, which gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). Throughout the New Testament, the followers of Jesus are called to be lights in the darkness. So, what does it mean to shine? In short, it means to be counter-cultural (Romans 13:12), to put yourself out there (Matt 5:16a), and to always point back to the source (Matt 5:16b)

Think about it for a second; light is one of the most prevalent themes throughout the entire Bible. It starts with God hovering over the unformed earth when He speaks light into existence, and when we can run straight through Revelation we are told our new heaven and earth with be illuminated with God’s glory that no sun or moon will be needed to shine its light.

Most of us, if not all of us have all hummed this catchy little tune a time or two: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” You see my brothers and sisters, we weren’t made to shine in the light. God created each of us to let our little lights shine in the dark. There is so much darkness surrounding us, there is so much darkness in our world today, God is calling all believers to leave their lights on! That said, let’s be clear; Jesus isnt talking about leaving our porch lights on at night. He is talking about letting the Holy Spirit shine brightly within us so that others may see our good works and in return glorify our God in heaven!

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#thislittlelightofmine

Whatever your going through today know that God has a plan for your life. David reminds us of this fact in Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

I get it, sometimes it’s hard to understand more less accept what God authors and what He allows, but we have to trust Him. Ecclesiastes 11:5 confirms, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”

So today, my point of information is to encourage you to always remember you are where God wants you to be at this very moment. Every experience is part of His divine plan.

That being said, let’s recite the same scripture in its original Hebrew language:

ê·ne·ḵā (Your eyes) rā·’ū (saw) gā·lə·mî (my unformed body); kul·lām (all) yā·mîm (my days) yik·kā·ṯê·ḇū (we’re written) wə·‘al-(in) sip̄·rə·ḵā (Your book) yuṣ·ṣā·rū (and ordained for me) ’e·ḥāḏ (before one day came to be).

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#GodKnowsSeesCares

When God is about to do some thing new what exactly is He referring to?

Well, that’s a loaded question, so I will defer my response at this time, but feel free to leave your response in the comment section. Now then, if there is one thing we can count on with God, it is that we can never predict when He will change the course of our lives and lead us down a path of blessings we couldn’t imagine.

The Bible gives countless examples of the amazing changes God made in people’s lives centuries before, and what He continues to do in our lives today.

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed in Isaiah 43:19 that “God would do a new thing” in our lives, something we couldn’t do ourselves. This thing would be impossible for man, but possible to God.

As the verse states, God was planning on doing something new for the people of Israel – something that would not be expected. He listed examples such as a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, both scenarios that would seem impossible to people at that time.

What God wanted Israel – and us – to realize is that He is the one responsible for bringing this new thing forward, springing it forth where you can’t miss it, unless you don’t understand it is His doing and no one else’s. The new thing God is doing is bringing blessings and a new path ahead for His people where the world said there is no way forward.

If you missed it my answer to my initial question was just stated in the above paragraph.

God reminds us through Isaiah’s words that we are witnesses to His redemption of Israel from all its enemies, providing a path ahead when it was believed there was none. So whatever circumstance that your facing in your life today, I want you to remember that what God does for one, He will also do for another. Deuteronomy 10:17 confirms, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”

My brothers and sisters, God sought to remind Israel that He was the Redeemer of Israel and was with them through whatever obstacle or heartbreak they had….He is also reminding us of the same today.

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#GODISDOINGANEWTHING

When you feel like giving up, be reminded that God loves you and wants to live life to the full! God’s plan is to prosper you and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11). If you’re struggling in life, don’t give up – there are better things yet to come!

Paul loved using sports analogies. In parallel with the above paragraph, he said this in I Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

My brothers and sisters, you have have to want that prize and while there are many things that demand our time and attention that we should leave behind such as unhealthy relationships, jobs, and habits, it’s also important to keep fighting for what is good and right. Fight for your success, fight for your marriage, fight for your kids, fight for your health – don’t give up! Know that you are not alone, and know that we are in the hands of God – He will provide us with strength, resources, and resilience when we need it. Stumbling blocks, obstacles, and setbacks are part of the process but they are never the end of your story! Giving up is never an option and with God on your side you will always find renewed strength and hope to keep going!

Look at this way, if the SEA didn’t stop MOSES, the WALL didn’t stop JOSHUA, the GIANT didn’t stop DAVID, the GRAVE didn’t stop JESUS, then in CHRIST NOTHING will stop YOU!

Jesus said this in Matthew 17:20. “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

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#UnstoppableInChrist

The Lord is always walking beside you. He is going through every situation with you. He loves and cares for you and will always stand by your side. Walking with Him will give you the comfort of knowing that He is always there for you. He is always with you when you need someone to lean on and a shoulder to cry on; He is always there with open arms.

David reminds us in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

No matter what you are going through, God will help you. You can always cry out to him for help. When you are frustrated and angry, cry out to him. When you are upset and feel like you cannot go on any longer, cry out to him. He will always be there to pick you up and move you forward.

The author of Hebrews 4:15-16 wrote, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Undoubtedly, God is the light to our path. He will show us the way, but without him, we have to find our way through the darkness. Why struggle, when you can have God to guide you?

Jesus encouraged us in John 8:12 when He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

If you have been traveling on a difficult road like me, remember what God said in Leviticus 26:12, “I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people.” God is with us!

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#GodIsWithUs

Trust me, the billionaires & millionaires in Titan submarine (if they are alive) would trade every single penny in their bank accounts to switch places with you & me right now. They would be praying literally for just ‘existing’ or ‘being alive’ and to be back on land. That’s how precious life itself is. Value it. Thank God everyday and be grateful for everything He gives you! Make the most out of your life while you still have time…

One thing to know and love about our God is that He is a promise keeper. Psalms 145:13 states, “For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does.”

God made sure to put this scripture in the bible with great intentions in mind. Not only do we serve an everlasting God that has and will forever reign but we also serve a God that ALWAYS keeps His promises. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “All of God’s promises are ‘YES’ in Christ. And so through Him the AMEN’ is spoken by us to the glory of the Father!”

God already knew that it can be hard for us, as humans, to hold on to His promises in a generation and world that prefers immediate results.

God already knew that people may fail us, loved ones may disappoint us, and our circumstances may change in ways that can challenge our faith to believe that the promise will come to pass.

God already knew that it’s even hard for ourselves as humans to make and keep promises, but that’s not the case for our God.

Hallelujah, our God never fails, never lies, and never gives up so why not trust and believe in Him to make the promise come to pass?!

I once read that there are over 8,810 promises in the Bible and 7,487 are promises made by God to us! So, I encouraged you like I encourage myself to find one that speaks to your situations and H.old O.n to that P.romises E.veryday until God changes your situation or He changes you! God’s promises always births NEW HOPE!

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#GodPromisesBirthsNewHope