The Candle of the Lord

I had to do devotions for this Sunday's softball game. I had been nervous about it since a month ago. Standing in front of a group and having to talk always gets my heartbeat racing. Nonetheless, below is what I shared.

Based on Phillips Brooks’ sermon preached on July 4, 1879 entitled “The Candle of the Lord”

Picture darkness. This candle is sitting in the middle of a dark room. Then someone comes in and lights the candle. You now have a flame; its burning is steady and constant. In a room that was once dark, this candle is now at the center of it—beautifully illuminated—grabbing the attention of everyone.

Note, however, that the candle and the flame were made for each other. The candle, without the flame, is futile. Once the candle is lit, it submits to the fire, allowing the flame to glow.

We are the candle. Do you know someone who is a candle whose flame shines so powerfully that he affects those around him? In your home, in your circle of friends, in your church—do you feel warmth from the fire?

God is the fire of this world. And we are the candle. His warm and pervading presence is everywhere. As the candle, we let ourselves be lighted by the flame of God so that He may be known. The Christian knows that she is being watched—and that she must let the watcher see what God is through the flame that God has lighted in her. The Bible verse I want you to remember today is from Proverbs 20:27 (King James Version), “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.” Short, simple, but strong.

In the game of charades we just played, how easy it is our expressions, body language, and state of mind can be communicated to those who are watching—whether you are conscious of it or not. When we are impatient, overly proud, or arrogant—our character is visible to everyone.

There are people out there, of influence, of fame, of power, of wealth, but no one feels their warmth. And once they pass on, the world isn’t any brighter. These people are unlighted candles; they are sophisticated, educated, successful in the material sense, but they lack the touch of God. They are proud and selfish, wanting their own light to shine. If you wonder why, by being close to a person like this, whom the world calls bright, but you do not get any brightness from him, it is because he has no light to give.

Why do we play softball in CCSA? The primary purpose is to be that candle that shines that light for those who are watching. Many of us feel that warmth in the air—sometimes, it feels mysterious. It is the sense of God—felt, but unseen.

Picture the dark room again. Now imagine, amid the darkness, Christians enter, pure and God-like. In an instant, the room is lighted. God’s presence becomes clear and certain. Then the mystery becomes not of the darkness, but of the light.

If you are a Christian, I pray that you will let God light the flame of your candle so that those who are watching will feel the warmth of your character and your love for them. If you are still seeking: feel the warmth of those around you and pursue it.

When I was a kid, in my parents’ basement hung a picture of a candle with the following quote beside it: “A candle loses nothing of its light by lighting another candle.” How glorious it would be if one person’s flame could be passed on to others so that this warmth could be multiplied, and instead of one, two, or three—hundreds of candles could be lighted.