Goodnight morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Over the centuries, many people have traveled through the English channel, but for a long time, rocks have been a great hazard for the ships passing through there. There is a substantial reef around 12 miles SSW off of Plymouth Sound, known as the EddyStone rocks. Sailors were so afraid of hitting them, that they kept close to the coast of France. To help guide ships, a lighthouse was built on these rocks. The first one was made out of wood by Henry Winstanley in the late 1600s, becoming fully functional in November 1698. It was lit by ’60 candles at a time, besides a great hanging lamp. There have been three other lighthouses built on these rocks, the Rudyard, Smeaton and finally the Douglass Lighthouse, which is the present one. A lighthouse has always been meant to guide us safely through the dangers of the waters that lurk below.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
In order to reach the shore safely, people needed to see the lighthouse. It guided them and showed them the way through the treacherous waters. In order for us to inherit the kingdom of Heaven someday, we must see the light, found in the teachings of Holy Scripture. This world is a dark and sinful place, and the only way that we can negotiate our way through it, is by guiding off of the lighthouse of God’s Word.
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
For thousands of years, light has helped us to see where we are going in the dark. People have used candles, torches, lamps, and flashlights. If you cannot see where you are going you can trip, fall down and get hurt. Jesus is the Word of God, and a light to the world.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Everybody likes to see where they’re going when they drive a car at night. The first vehicle headlamps on cars were officially introduced during the 1880s and were based on acetylene and oil, similar to the old gas lamps. Light helps us to see any obstructions or possible dangers in the path ahead. In these treacherous days that we are currently living in, it is the teachings of scripture that illuminates our path so we can avoid the pitfalls that surround us. This world is like a giant field that is filled with landmines, but it is God’s Word that helps us find our way through them. It’s God’s spirit-filled teachings that is the oil in that fills our lamps, which lights our way through darkness.
Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
The foolish virgins never prepared ahead of time for what was coming. They weren’t filled up with God’s Word, and consequently couldn’t find their way home to Jesus until it was far too late. Today is this day of salvation, not tomorrow. Today is the day to get filled up on God’s Word, not tomorrow. Have you ever prepared to go camping on the weekend, but then when you got there you realized that you forgot batteries and a flashlight? Have you ever been driving on a motorbike late at night when the headlight suddenly burned out? It’s dangerous to not have any light to see where you’re going. Even today there are people who are very similar to the foolish virgins, who are not filling the vessels of their hearts with biblical truth. The Christian faith is based on the teachings and commands of Christ. Without faith in them, you have nothing to guide off, because of which, some are going to crash upon the rocks.
1 Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
I grew up on a lake and when we were kids we shoveled our own hockey rink. We had 300 feet of extension cords that ran all the way from the house down to the lake. We cut a hole in the ice and froze in a 20-ft popple tree with a floodlight on top. It didn’t matter how dark it was at night, there was plenty of light for us to play on the lake. When it got too late and it was time to go in, somebody simply unplugged the extension cord from the house. It got so dark you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face. We would use the living room light as a marker as we struggled through the snow to get back home. The Lord Jesus wants us to be home in Paradise with him someday, and gives us the light that we need in His Holy Word to see the way there.
Psalms 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Modern day pilots are very dependent upon light at night to land safely. When they begin to get close to the airport, the tower will illuminate the runway, guiding both them and their passengers to their final destination. They need to put a certain amount of trust in the operator of those lights. We also must trust Jesus, who wants to guide us and lead us safely to Paradise. Like a Shepherd with the sheep, He’s watching over us, guiding our way through His truth. He is that true light, a pillar of fire that lit the way for the Israelites coming out of Egypt, and He continues to light our way today, to all those who place faith in Him and His Word.
Psalms 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
In the old lighthouses they used many candles to guide the way of sailors. To me every verse in the scriptures is like a candle. The more of them that you place in your heart, the more light that you will have, to help you see your way through this dark world, and to keep you off of…..
…..the EddyStone Rocks
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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