TOPIC: LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE
MEMORISE
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – (Matthew 5:16)
READ: Daniel 6:25-28 (KJV)
25. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
26. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
MESSAGE
God wants His children to shine as stars. From the Bible reading of today, you would see that Daniel shone and indeed outshone his colleagues. If you haven’t done so already, you must surrender your life to God today, shun iniquity totally and begin to love righteousness if you also want to shine. Psalm 75:6-7 says:
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
If you are a parent, then you have a crucial role to play in the lives of your children so that they can be stars (Proverbs 22:6). You must give them proper training - spiritually, intellectually and morally (Deuteronomy 11:19). I thank God always for my mother, she did a good job of raising me. She encouraged me to study even when other children were out playing. I am what I am today by the grace of God and her efforts.
Teachers too must be involved - at school and in the Church. God bless my Mathematics teacher; he made a star in the subject out of me. He usually challenged the few of us who showed an interest in the subject, to make a hundred percent in our assignments. One day, we did and were very happy, hoping that we had finally impressed him. His reaction however kept us in check. He said “Look at you, your mates are now undergraduates and here you are bragging because you scored a hundred percent in Ordinary Level Mathematics!” He was clearly telling us to strive harder for excellence.
You can also influence your shining through hard work (Proverbs 22:29). Children should not waste their time playing when there are more profitable things to do. Breakthroughs do not come to lazy people. Look at Daniel, for example: he was diligent even when he was a nobody - a slave. This young man was eventually enlisted as a minister in Babylon (Daniel 1-2).
If you would shine, you must also strive to obtain the blessing of your parents (both biological and spiritual) by honouring them. My mother would always pray for me thus “When you call on one fellow, two hundred will respond.” Today, it is a reality in my life.
Your light will shine, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to do what I should in order to shine for You from now, in Jesus’ name.
AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 75 - 77
HYMNAL:
HYMN 11 - I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
1. I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
REFRAIN:
I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee!
Oh, bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.
2. I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly, and abide
Or life is vain.
4. I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
