A Light To The World
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
We who have received God’s gift of salvation by faith in Christ have been given God’s light. It is our responsibility to allow God’s light to shine for all to see. This is the important work of every Christian individual, group, church and nation.
It is at this time we celebrate our nation’s liberty marked by the day our forefathers framed the Declaration of Independence. We celebrate the time when God’s providential hand worked to bring our country freedom from the tyrannical reign of a king.
Those who have studied our nation’s history from a Biblical perspective have clearly seen the providence of God at work. It was no accident that brought about the formation of our great country. From the very beginning, God was at work to bring about a nation that would be a city on a hill, a beacon of light and a ray of hope for the entire world.
God was at work in every aspect of the voyage of Christopher Columbus. Columbus was a fervent believer who in his own writings believed that God was leading him to take the voyage by ship to the Indies. God sent the storm that forced the ships off course and God sent the birds for them to follow that lead to the islands.
God was at work in the successful forming of the colonies and the miraculous victory over England. Our history is rich in the faith and dependence on God demonstrated by many of the early settlers. Their trust in God and acceptance of God’s grace is the foundation for the framers of our Constitution. It was the principles of God’s Word and reliance on God in prayer that produced the world’s greatest document.
This week, thank God for our great country and how He is able to use our nation for His work. If you are a believer, think about God’s light within you and how you will let that light shine for others to see.