Luke 8:16-18

Luke 8:16-18

And after setting fire to a candle, no one hides it with a jar or sets it under a bed.  But rather he places it upon a candlestick in order that the ones who enter in should see the light.  For there are no hidden things that will not become known.  Neither are there secrets that should surely not become known and they should come into plain recognition.  Therefore, watch how you hear.  For the one who has, it will be given to him.  And the one who does not have, even that which he thinks to have will be taken away from him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Over the last two chapters, we’ve seen many comparisons to faith.  We know that light is often a symbol of God coming to us and giving us understanding.  In the last teaching of Jesus, we hear about seeds and what God is doing within us.  It should make sense, then, that we have another passage on responding to God.  Nobody in their right mind lights a candle and then buries it where it can have no use.  The same is true with our faith.  If we have God’s faith within us, why would we not put it to use?  If we have God’s light within us, why would we not use it as we go through the world?  Why would we not allow ourselves to be guided by God’s light and let it shine into not just our life but also the lives of the people around us?

Do you let the light of God that is within you out into the world?  Do you use the faith that God is placing within you?

Second Thought:

Then Jesus gives us a pair of warnings. The person who has received the light will be given more.  To the person who receives and uses the truth that God gives Him, even more truth will be given.  Practice tells us that this is true.  The more you study with God’s Word, the more it makes sense in your life.  The more you can apply it.  The more you talk with other people about what God’s Word says, the more skilled you will be at applying truth into practice.  It simply makes sense.  When we take what God gives to us and practice it, we will be able to do even more.

Do you practice employing God’s Word?  How does it impact your life?

Third Thought:

On the other hand, when we don’t put God’s Word into practice we lose even what we think we have.  Again, this makes sense.  Why would we be skilled at something that we never use?  Why would we get better at something when we don’t put any time or effort into it?  If we think we have something, but don’t actually use it, we may find that we don’t actually have it, either.

When have you lost something you thought that you had?  Have you ever had a moment in your life when you stopped thinking about God and the faith within you and you later felt it become rusty?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 8:19-21