This Little Light of Mine

(Read Psalm 33)

There’s a big difference between knowledge and wisdom, and the older I get the more value I put upon the former. Knowledge can be gained from our own efforts. Wisdom is imparted from God. Wisdom has taught me to know that we can never put ourselves in others’ shoes. During the height of the Pandemic, I would sometimes downplay the pain and isolation that people were enduring.

A long time teacher friend of my wife’s came to visit us last weekend. Outwardly, she seemed eager to share her faith journey for this devotional. Inwardly, I’m not sure. (E) is a relatively private person, but after an hour of sharing her story with me, I feel like we connected on a whole new level. That’s what good old-fashioned conversation does — it informs, it consoles, it laughs, it cries, it creates a bridge.

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
Psalm 33:1-4

E learned about God from Sunday school in a small Episcopal church. “‘Jesus Loves Me’ and ‘This Little Light of Mine’ come to mind when I think about discovering God as a child,” she said. I’ve known E for at least 15 years and all this time she has proven to be a self-assured and confident woman with direction in her life. So her next statement did not catch me off guard. “During confirmation at the age of 12,” she declared with a hint of a smile, “I made the decision to believe – to commit my life to Jesus Christ. I committed to spread the word of God.”

We are all called to rejoice in the LORD, and in nothing else. To sing with praise and shout joyfully is praising in God. E showed that even as a child, her praises were pointed towards the right target. “My commitment to Jesus at that time was a benchmark in my spiritual life,” E added. When I think of where I was spiritually, emotionally, or otherwise at the age of 12, it was nowhere close to surrendering to my God. E was deeply involved in service at her church as a child. It was a family thing, but as E demonstrated, a divinely ordained thing too. “I served and have amazing memories from performing with my family during Christmas pageants. She chuckled, “I nearly lit the Altar on fire lighting candles, while serving as Acolyte.”

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer

“I have always had faith in God. I have always turned to Him in times of trouble,” E declared. My Dad would pray the Lord’s prayer and He would tell me that if I were remorseful and say a prayer, that my sin would be washed away.” She told me of how comforting this was to her as a child. “The Lord’s prayer is cleansing. It reminds me of a new birth.”

God’s will is not always our will and this earthly kingdom is a far cry from what it will look like when God’s kingdom from heaven is created here. But the promise of hope, glory, and forgiveness from this familiar scripture navigates all believers through the darkest times. E looked at me and said, “I still say the Lord’s prayer every day and more often when I’m full of worry and on all airline flights.”

E is an attractive, articulate, and successful educator with a great sense of humor — at times, self-deprecating. I didn’t actually know she was a believer when I first got to know her, but how she conducted herself never showed me otherwise. We talked about her Christian roots and where she found inspiration for her faith. “I belonged to a youth group and am still friends with some of the same people,” she replied. One of her closest friends from that time experienced the crushing loss of her mother. “Her family asked if I would do a reading for her funeral,” E told me. “I think they believed that I had more faith than other members in their family.” Her eyes lit up as she relived the experience, “Oh my gosh, I was so nervous, but during the reading, my friend’s Dad was smiling at me. It made me feel so joyful.”

“I also recall how moved I was when I watched my Mom get confirmed.” E came back to this moment more than one time in our conversation. Her parents divorced when she was a teenager, while in high school. The scars from these relationships are both hidden and visible. I could see how powerful of a moment it was for E to watch her Mom, who hadn’t shown much serious interest in her spiritual life, take such a public and important step towards faith.

One of the most pivotal moments she experienced in her faith journey came from her cousin. While playing goalie in lacrosse as a 10-year-old, he just passed out. He was taken to a local hospital where they diagnosed him with the flu. After further review, they discovered he had a failing heart. He was then rushed to Johns Hopkins for a heart transplant. “His faith in God was and still is so inspiring. He’s never been angry over this. He told us that, ‘Another child had to make a sacrifice for me to live.'” E, filled with wonder continued, “He said, ‘Why not me? Bad things happen to everyone.'”

No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 33:16-19

Throughout history, there have been kings and other military leaders with superior armies who have suffered defeat at the hands of lesser ones. Even Goliath, who was a feared massive man, could not claim victory over a smaller boy named David. Only God can claim rights to our victories. We can accomplish all kinds of success in life. We can assume that we have the ability to control our circumstances and our wins, but that delusion will leave us empty in the long run. Our condition and destiny comes from our maker.

E has had struggles with anxiety and depression. These desperate feelings eventually led her to attending a new church with friend. “It’s a church for people who don’t go to church,” she said. “It is much different from the church I grew up in, but I felt comfortable there.” At a time when she needed uplifting, there was a worship program called, “Out of Darkness,” that spoke to her needs directly. “For the first time in my life, I was really listening to the sermons more. I was getting more out of them.” She unraveled more about the program they were studying at her church. “It hit me at the right time. I learned that I would have pull myself out of this funk.” I wondered if maybe it was Jesus who would pull her out of this funk.

The last year-and-a-half was a dark time for her. “I felt a deep depression and isolation during the Pandemic. I was so cold and alone.” Then, Jesus reached His hands for her. “He put my dog, Cricket, into my life to bring me out,” she said sobbing. Maybe her dog Cricket is the lifeline Jesus sent her. He knows the depths of our sorrows and He is always with those who hope in Him. Still tearing up, E said, “Cricket is symbolic of my fight. He is symbolic of my healing.”

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Psalm 33:20-22

Most people can’t recite something from the Bible without looking it up. E told me that she didn’t know the Bible that well. She said that she’s not the kind of Christian who can blurt out a line from the Bible without looking it up. But when I inquired if there was anything that she can point to with profound meaning for her life, without hesitation she replied, “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

We all need uplifting from a source of light and a shield to protect us. E finds hope and love from her dog. Symbolic probably. But does that matter? Many things about our faith are symbolic. Jesus is the one who put Cricket in her life, just as everything else He orchestrates in our lives.

This wisdom I referred to in the beginning of this devotional has opened a wedge of clarity in my mind. I had no idea that E was dealing with her challenges and especially during the Pandemic. We don’t and can’t know what people are dealing with at any particular moment in their life. Jesus does know this. E finds comforting hope from a Savior who offers us eternal love. His arms are reaching down for us to grab.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.
How Deep the Father’s Love

Key Applications:

1. Where do you find hope? Do you look for friends, mentors, family? Do you look for spiritual places or things? Hope is different for everyone. It can be found in a raise, a positive medical test, or words of affirmation from a loved one. But, the most enduring hope comes from our most enduring source of love — Jesus Christ who died for us. In your prayers this week, pray to Him and thank Him for giving you hope.
2. Read the Lord’s Prayer a few times slowly. Then, do as a friend of mine suggested, read it substituting other words with similar meanings. It can give this beautiful gift of words new life.
3. Consider all of the successes in your life. Do you claim credit for them? It’s fine to acknowledge your wins. God blesses us all with different gifts. The wins we accomplish are all part of God’s plan for us. The next time you achieve victory in something, in anything, acknowledge it and make sure to give the glory to God.

Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.