Shine like a candle in the contemporary darkness

Uni-verse 288/10,000 For better through verse Luke 8 v 16

Can you shine like a candle?

Luk 8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light

We are each a candle. The Word of God is the match that is used to light it. The Holy Spirit is the one who lights the flame. The difficult situations we face in life are the hard surfaces against which the match is struck to give the spark to light the match. Thank the Lord for the difficult times and challenges in our lives for without these,how will we have a testimony or a “true believe it or not story” to share? Our natural abilities and talents, careers, positions and professions are the candlestick on which the candle is set. We need to be ambitious for God so that the candlestick will project the light more and more. We need to excel in our professions so that the candlestick is stable and strong. We should not however be too taken in by the grandeur of the candlestick, however exalted our position or our achievements. At the end of the day, the candle is the purpose, not the candlestick. Our hearts should melt like wax in the presence of the Lord.


In a time of prayer, the Lord revealed that when we spend less time in prayer and worship, it is like keeping the candle under a bed. When we keep a candle under a bed, not only will the candle not burn brightly owing to deficiency in the oxygen available for it to burn but it could set the bed on fire. Not taking enough time to fellowship with God is akin to setting the course of our life on fire. The Word of God says that those who walk in their own light are tormented and torn. Those who do so are like the candle in the famous Princess Diana memorial song " A candle in the wind." They burn out against the fury of the wind, forces within and without, natural and supernatural, that are too powerful to contain or contend with.

When we keep the candle under a lid or a vessel, it will be extinguished in a short while. We cannot hide our faith or the truth. We cannot camouflage our convictions to compromise with the world. We cannot allow fear , doubt ,disbelief , disappointment or discouragement or sin to put out the flame within us. We need to burn appropriately, consistently and unwaveringly. We need to burn high enough for others to see, long enough to make an impact and brightly enough to dispel the surrounding darkness. When all these conditions are fulfilled, then those who enter the Kingdom of God will see the light. A candle always thinks, “ I can burn”. It is not worried about becoming reduced to a dab of carbon. Similarly, a believer must always think, “ I can shine for God. I can shine forth for His glory and praise with His light, His wisdom, His power and His grace.” Grace empowers and enables and absolute grace enables absolutely.


Prateep V Philip