This Little Light of Mine
Sunday morning during the church announcements, Brenda Emerson (my cousin-in-law) spoke about Timpanogos caves in American Fork, Utah and how they shut off the lights there when you take a tour and it becomes truly pitch black darkness. She mentioned that this occurs deep in the ocean as well as outer space too. She talked about how beautiful and awe inspiring to come out of the cave into the light and see God's creation all around. I only mention this because it started me thinking about something that has nothing to do with caves, ocean depths, or outer space.
I apologize for the thought meandering, mostly to my love ones who often exclaim,"Where did that come from!" LOL!
Most of us have heard, at one point or another, the song This Little Light of Mine. I am not going to go through the whole song but it basically talks about how every person has an internal light and it is up to each individual how much he or she lets the world see but the singer is telling you that he or she will let that light shine no matter where they go. Nice sentiment but very false.
There are many references to the true light in the Bible, but I think the first chapter of John sums it up nicely.
John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
The old adage that everyone is basically good is wrong. I know some of you may disagree with that, but history bares it all out. Everyone is basically evil. So they carry no "little light." The song is an effort to try and bring out the goodness in people when they face cruelty, or overwhelming odds, or the pitfalls of life. That no matter what darkness surrounds them they will let their light shine forth and then perhaps find their way out of the darkness or help guide others as well.
Romans 3: as it is written:“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
I am not seeing any little lights in that passage. So is there a way out of darkness? Can there be any light inside that shines forth? Yes, but not through any secular humanistic feel good song. The only way to have light in the darkness, which surrounds us even in broad daylight, is through Jesus Christ and his Spirit. Let's go back to John.
John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
So now we know both where any light comes from and how to get that light. The Bible, also tells us how to maintain that light.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
So reading the word of God helps maintain that light and guides us out of and through thee darkness. Jesus Christ himself is the Word and the light.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
So now if you did not know before, you know that there is no little light inside you; however, you can have the greatest light ever known or to be known, the light that created the universe, shining out of you and it is easy to get.
I apologize for the thought meandering, mostly to my love ones who often exclaim,"Where did that come from!" LOL!
Most of us have heard, at one point or another, the song This Little Light of Mine. I am not going to go through the whole song but it basically talks about how every person has an internal light and it is up to each individual how much he or she lets the world see but the singer is telling you that he or she will let that light shine no matter where they go. Nice sentiment but very false.
There are many references to the true light in the Bible, but I think the first chapter of John sums it up nicely.
John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
The old adage that everyone is basically good is wrong. I know some of you may disagree with that, but history bares it all out. Everyone is basically evil. So they carry no "little light." The song is an effort to try and bring out the goodness in people when they face cruelty, or overwhelming odds, or the pitfalls of life. That no matter what darkness surrounds them they will let their light shine forth and then perhaps find their way out of the darkness or help guide others as well.
Romans 3: as it is written:“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
I am not seeing any little lights in that passage. So is there a way out of darkness? Can there be any light inside that shines forth? Yes, but not through any secular humanistic feel good song. The only way to have light in the darkness, which surrounds us even in broad daylight, is through Jesus Christ and his Spirit. Let's go back to John.
John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
So now we know both where any light comes from and how to get that light. The Bible, also tells us how to maintain that light.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
So reading the word of God helps maintain that light and guides us out of and through thee darkness. Jesus Christ himself is the Word and the light.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
So now if you did not know before, you know that there is no little light inside you; however, you can have the greatest light ever known or to be known, the light that created the universe, shining out of you and it is easy to get.
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