"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. (Luke 8:16-17 NASB)
These two verses speak of the evidence of our faith and the fire in our hearts. You may remember that the Parable of the Sower spoke of how we receive the Word of God. The Parable of the Lamp speaks of what we do with what God has kindled within us. The imagery is of "the flame He fastened to the lamp which He created and which is fueled by His Spirit". (LFL7/12/14)
We now come to verse 17. "Nothing is hidden that will not become evident." The previous thirteen verses specifically addressed the Word of God and the Spirit of God planted in our hearts, as does this verse. Jesus made one thing very clear. What is in our hearts WILL be revealed.
Taking the ideal, let us assume first that the Word of God has been embraced and planted in our hearts, that it has grown like a luxuriant plant, and that we have become more like Jesus than we were at the beginning. With our assuming, let us consider that the fire of God glows brightly in our hearts. The outcome, Jesus said, is that what we have planted there will be revealed.
The word translated as "evident" is phaneros, and is sometimes translated as "apparent", "disclosed", or "come to light". It is also used as "tell". In times of difficulty or outright persecution, our response will reveal the God in us. What has been "hidden" or stored in our hearts will become apparent for all to see. Our behavior will "tell" or give testimony to the validity of our faith.
The disciples to whom Jesus was speaking would soon face tremendous persecution for their faith. These words must have been a great comfort to them. When their times of trial came, they need not fear. The faith they already had would sustain them and bear testimony to their Lord.
Do we have that kind of faith? Have we planted the Word of God in our hearts in such a way that we will be sustained in times of great difficulty? In times of frustrating circumstances, does our response consistently reveal the heart and Spirit of God within us?
Pray today that we will so steward the Spirit of God that, in every circumstance, He will be evident in us. Pray, too, that those closest to us will be able to clearly see Jesus in us.
-------
Don't forget to pray for Nasir al Wuhayshi, terrorist of the week. Pray that he will embrace the cross instead of attempting to destroy it.
-------
Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/07/eight-days-of-hope-part-1.html
No comments:
Post a Comment