Enjoy this devotion from author Janice Thompson
This morning at 5:50 AM I woke up, (very unusual, since I’m not a morning person). There was no reason to be awake, so I just laid very still. A few seconds later, I heard the sweetest little whisper to my heart, just three words: “They need hope.”
I knew who “they” were, of course. The world. They need hope right now, in the middle of all that’s going on. And we, as believers, are commissioned by God to be the hope-bearers, the ones who are chosen to bring the hope of the gospel into a dark and hopeless world.
As I pondered that thought, I was reminded of a devotion I wrote just yesterday. The devotion references Matthew 5:14:
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (NLT)
I’ll share a little more about that devotion in a minute but I want to interrupt this story to tell another.
Today I saw the church at its best…and its worst. This morning I joined a zoom call with Lou Engle and Doug Stringer, as well as several other people of faith. The gist of the call was to talk about how we, as the church, can impact this world for Christ. There was much in that meeting about overcoming division, about standing up for truth while loving others, about repentance, about fasting and praying and believing for better days ahead. It was good, y’all. I mean…we had church. The prayer time at the end was precious.
Then, tonight, I witnessed the opposite of that. A political squabble on social media turned ugly. Like….REALLY ugly. It was so vile I couldn’t even believe what I was reading. The accusations were so extreme, and the venom behind the words was simply inexcusable. Most shocking of all–the spewing came from a believer who didn’t seem to notice the damage she was causing as she shot down her opponents right and left. She was right. Everyone else was wrong. And that was all that mattered. End of story.
Or, was it?
Now, back to that devotion I wrote yesterday. Jesus told his disciples they were to be a light to the world, a city set on a hill. Old Testament cities were often placed on hillsides so that they were easy to locate. But they were also elevated so that the residents of that city (and especially the watchmen on the wall) could keep a close eye out on what was going on beneath them. Being up above the frey meant they could watch for incoming attacks. These were walled cities, of course….cities like Jericho (and even Jerusalem), surrounded by a barricade to keep the enemy out.
Jesus said to his disciples, “You’re like a city on a hilltop that can’t be hidden.” The world is watching. Once you say, “I’m a Christian,” there’s no taking that back. You’re completely vulnerable and exposed–a city on a hill in full view as you shine that light. The world is watching to see if you’ll act like the Christian you say you are. When you do, the Spirit of God moves (in much the same way I saw Him move this morning in that meeting). When you don’t….you damage your testimony, which ultimately damages the whole body.
As well as being a light, you’ve got to be a watchman, to keep your eyes WIDE open to the enemy’s attacks. He would love nothing more than to take you (and ultimately those you’re witnessing to) down. Remember, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and he’s skilled in the art of division.
They need hope.
That was the whisper to my heart this morning. They need hope…and we’re the ones who are supposed to bring it to them. That means we HAVE to shine the light of Christ in a way that draws people TO Him, not propels them FROM Him. How we handle that light is critical.
You’re a city on a hill, believer. And you’re not hidden. You’re in full view.
