The Lighthouse

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:14-16; John 8:12

Up…up…up…Aiden and his classmates were getting tired as they followed the lighthouse caretaker. Way up in the top room, the caretaker pointed to the powerful lamp. “This runs on electricity,” she said, indicating the heavy cables that went into the lamp. “Its light can be seen for many miles.” Walking over to a counter, she pointed to an old lamp on display there. “This is the one that was used before they had electricity here. It ran on kerosene. Back in those days, the caretaker’s most important job was to make sure the lamp didn’t run out of fuel.”

“But that lamp is so much smaller than the one used now,” observed one of the kids. “It couldn’t shine very far over the ocean, could it?”

“Actually, it could.” The caretaker picked up two odd-shaped pieces of glass from the counter. “These are prisms. They’re cut in a special way to bend the rays of light that hit them and reflect them back—not once, but several times. By using prisms, the beam of light from the lamp can be magnified up to a thousand times. Even with the smaller lamp, a sailor far out at sea could see the beam of reflected light.”

That night, Aiden told his dad some of the things he learned on the visit to the lighthouse. “Years ago they used a much smaller lamp than the electric one they have now,” he said. “They used prisms to reflect the beam of light, and it could be seen by sailors miles out at sea.”

“That’s interesting,” said Dad. “And do you know what that reminds me of?”

Aiden chuckled. “Probably something to do with the Bible. Maybe that Jesus is called the light of the world?”

Dad grinned at him. “That too, but I was actually thinking of the prisms. If Jesus is the light of the world, who are those prisms?”

“Umm…I know. Christians!” Aiden said. “We shine with Jesus’s light.”

“Right,” said Dad. “When we treat others with the kindness and love Jesus has shown us, we reflect His light for the rest of the world to see. Each of those prisms was important, and each one of us is too.”

“Yep.” Aiden grinned. “It’s our job to reflect God’s light to everyone.”

-Linda Weddle

How About You?

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? If so, you have His light shining within you. How can you reflect that light to those around you? Are you telling others about Him? Are you using the talents He gave you to glorify Him? Are you treating others in a kind and loving way? Trust Him to help you shine out so others can see the light of His love.

Today’s Key Verse:
Philippians 2:15 (NKJV) You shine as lights in the world.

Today’s Key Thought:

Let your life reflect Jesus