The Light of the Righteous

Happy Memorial Day! I trust you took time out to commemorate the valuable service given by our veterans who helped create and defend this great country. Isaac Newton said once "If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants," his way of acknowledging the scientific achievements of the past upon which his work was based. We stand on the shoulders of our veterans, especially those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. For that, we must be forever grateful.

The verse that caught my eye today was Proverbs 13:9, which states:

The light of the righteous shines brightly,
   but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. 

It's a very self-evident verse. What kind of people do we admire, the good or the evil? This verse tells us that when we're doing the Lord's work, the world will notice--perhaps not in the way we expect, but our works will speak for themselves. We'll see that clearly when we get to the Sermon on the Mount on October 6th when Christ tells us to let our lights shine. We do when we do his work here on earth.

And, much as I wrote yesterday, the wicked will get what's coming to them. Again, it might not be in the manner or time frame we'd like, but it will happen. Consider the imagery Solomon uses--"snuffed out," which implies something quick and effortless. How hard is it for us to snuff out a candle? That's how hard it is for God to snuff out evil, and we're told it will happen.

There's some very common themes in Proverbs--patience, virtue, humility, etc. As always, the hard part isn't knowing these things, but making them integral parts of our lives, ones that will cause our light to shine brightly. Never give up--a light is the brightest when it's the darkest outside. In other words, we CAN'T shine unless we live in a dark and sinful world. 

Try to be the brightest light you can.

Scott