A Daily Devotional by Bishop David Bakare
Just Like the Sun
Sunday,
25 August
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
SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Matthew 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
MORE
LESSON:
Philippians 2:15 That ye
may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of
a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
There are certain things that have local
relevance, while others have only international influence. Yet` others exhibit
global impact; that is, they are relevant at home and abroad. The quality of a
thing, is based on its universal appeal and not its local appeal. For instance,
a microphone is a microphone in Dubai and does not cease from being a
microphone in Nigeria just because it is now in a different location. It has a
universal appeal because it is a microphone anywhere and will perform the same
function irrespective of the geographical location. In the same way, the sun
has a universal appeal; it is a global phenomenon. It is useful to the blacks,
as well as the whites. Everybody needs the sun no matter how great or small.
That is how God wants us to have global
impact. The Bible says, Ye are the light of the world; a city set on a hill
cannot be hid…. It means that God does not want us to shine only within the
four walls of the church or our village or even our country. He wants the whole
world to attest to our light just like it attest of the sun. The implication is
that we must remain the light irrespective of our geographical location. It is
however sad that some people take on different behaviour as they move from one
territory to another under the pretext that, 'When you are in Rome, you behave
like the Romans'. So when they get to Rome and it is in darkness, they too
suddenly become darkness instead of being the light God has made them to be.
This ought not to be so. We must remain the light all over the world,
irrespective of the prevailing situation. This is the test of our true quality
as children of God; God is God everywhere and so must we be.
Furthermore, the sun does not compete with
darkness. When the sun shows up, darkness travels by reverse gear because light
and darkness cannot cohabit. There is no fellowship between them. This is why
every evil should give way when we appear. In the place of work/business,
people should not be comfortable with doing the wrong thing when you are
around. It should be that as soon as you appear, everything that represents
darkness gives way. People should not be bold enough to ask you to be a part of
evil because they know it will not work. You are the light of the world, so do
not reduce yourself to darkness just because of immediate gains which cannot
satisfy.
Finally, the sun cannot be confronted; you
don't underrate or confront the sun. Science has taken men to different planets
but no one has dared the sun. No one can go to the sun or even the planet
closest to it and return alive. So I prophesy that no man or situation that
confronts you will survive, in Jesus’ name.
Prayer/Action
* Thank God for making you the light of the world and pray
against everything that can hinder your light from shining.
* Decree and declare that your light will shine brighter and brighter.
* Continuously meditate on what it means to be the light of the world.
TODAY’S PROPHETIC
PRAYER: In this very month, I shall pursue,
overtake and recover all, in the powerful name of Jesus.
