God's Greatness Cannot be Hidden

Jesus spoke very plainly about how the believer is to carry themselves.  Matthew 5:14-16 states the following “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."

So, here, Jesus says that His followers are the light of the world and uses two analogies to help us to see understand exactly what He means. 

1. A city on a hill.  Imagine walking in a valley, a very dark valley and looking up and seeing a city with lights blazing, homes with lights in their windows, etc.  How would you feel?  How would a non-believer feel if he saw your city?  A city on a hill is set as a beacon of light and hope to a person walking in a valley.  It can also lead the way for the person travelling in darkness.

2. A candle on a stand.  Notice, Jesus immediately says that you don't light a candle and then put under a basket.  A candle is meant to give off light  and to illuminate the room in which it is lit.  Jesus said to put the candle on a stand and allow it to light the entire house.

I love his final statement- he says let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  The light comes from the Light.  Jesus is the light of the world, those that He lives through because lights in the world and therefore we are to let the light of Jesus shine everywhere we go.  It reminds me of the song that they used to sing at my church when I was a child, "This Little Light of Mine"- I'm gonna let it shine!  Let Jesus shine through you.

All that leads me to the point of this message.  I met a man at the Montgomery Cancer Center on Friday.  He was a tall man with a very thick medical record in his hand.  When I asked him how he was doing, he looked at me and smiled and said, "God is taking care of me."  He said that he had been coming to the cancer center for 12 years!  I was like wow.  But it got better, he said that at one point in his life he was laid up for 8 months on a feeding tube and for 6 of those months he did not watch TV, listen to the radio or really feel much like talking.  He simply asked God, "Am I going to die?"  We chatted for a while and I noticed that tears began to well up in his eyes and he said, "You smiling at me just made my day."  Little did he know that he had also made my day.  If God was merciful to him, I know that God has enough mercy and enough grace to be merciful to me too!  God has enough goodness to go around!  Not only that, God is so good that you cannot help but tell it to someone else!  His final comments were this: "God is in this place." 

I know that some people there did not want to hear our conversation but I really didn't care.  We talked loud enough to be overheard because you cannot hide the light under a basket.  You can't hide God's greatness!  He gave me a card with a poem that he wrote on the back and I want to share it here.  It really touched me and I thank God that we crossed paths.  I know that God does everything for a reason and I am encouraging anyone that may be reading this to let your light shine!  Do not worry about what someone else thinks of you, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.  You might just make someones day.  Here is the poem:

GOD for His reason
gave me cancer
 Will I die!
He did not answer.

With love He told me,
do not worry,
Just be patient,
not in a hurry.

For I'll be with you,
so have no fear,
I'll carry you gently,
and hold you near,

As days turned to weeks,
and weeks to months,
I never worried,
not even once,

For the I knew
that the promise is true,
There can be no fear
while GOD carries you.

The destination,
I may not know,
But wherever He takes me,
I will gladly go.

RBW

God bless you!