Friday / We Belong to the Light
Read 1 Thessalonians 5: 4-10 (NLT)
But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep, and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.
Think
When I was a child, my friends and I often played a game of “tag”. There were many variations, but always the person tagged was “it” and then had to tag someone else. We played TV tag where you couldn’t move once tagged until you called out the name of a television show. There was freeze tag where you couldn’t move at all until one of your teammates “thawed” you with a touch.
The version I liked the best was one we only played on warm summer nights. After dark we would all meet out in the field, each of us armed with a flashlight. The rule of this game was the same as basic tag—touch another child to make them “it”. But, in flashlight tag, you could protect yourself from getting tagged by shining the light of your flashlight on the person who tried to tag you. They couldn’t tag you and had to duck back into the darkness and try to tag someone else. When they were in the light, you could see them, and you were safe.
The Bible reading today reminds me that I belong to the light, to God and to Jesus. Because God is light and I am a child of the light, I won’t be surprised when evil appears suddenly. It can’t sneak up on me. The light of God reveals the darkness and keeps me safe. My part is to keep my flashlight ready so I can shine the light of God on the dark places of the world and show evil for what it is.
Pray
Dear God, I’m so glad to be a child of your Light. Help me be on guard against the darkness in this world. I want to be alert, clear-headed, and brave as I live for you. Protect me with the armor of your grace and love. Let me be confident in you, Lord, knowing that Jesus died for me. Help me to remember that his sacrifice means I can live in the Kingdom of God, now and always. Amen.
Do
Get your flashlight and take a prayer walk at night. You can stick to familiar surroundings, walk around your property or up and down the street you live on. Or you can take a stroll down the block and around your neighborhood. As you go, notice how the flashlight only illuminates the path a few steps ahead. Thank God for lighting your path through life. Think about the neighbors whose homes you pass. Pray for them. Ask God to help you shine his light in your neighborhood.
The View from Mt. Hope 