Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Proverbs 13: 1-10

"The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out." (9)

There was once a blind man who was given a lighted lamp to carry with him on a journey at night so that other travelers would see the light and not collide into him. On the way, there was a storm and the blind man waited under a tree for the storm to pass. Once he resumed his journey, a passerby collided into him. The blind man shouted angrily, “Couldn’t you see the lighted lamp in my hand, man? Are you blind?” The stranger replied, “I am not blind but your lamp was not burning.” “I am sorry, dear”, said the blind man. “I am blind and did not know that the flame was put off by the storm.” We as humans are often led by our notions of righteousness and with all our worldly blindness, sometimes assume our righteousness even though we have fallen and lost the light God placed in us.
The book of proverbs builds its moral discourse by comparing and contrasting human traits like righteous and wicked, wise and foolish, diligent and lazy and hence forth. The distinction between the righteous and the wicked is their source of light. The righteous  have the true light in them. That which belongs to the wicked is only derived and temporary, and even that shall be extinguished before long.
Jesus taught the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 18: 9-14 and verse 9 specifies that this story was told to 'some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt' (NASB). In order to truly become righteous, we must have the light of Christ that it grows brighter and brighter each day. When we are counted among those living upright lives, we will love the light, be unashamed of the life we live, rejoice in the Lord. On the other hand, the wicked shall have even the light that they possess put out. Without the infinite wisdom and grace of God guiding our paths, we are only on our way to destruction like the wicked for if we decide to walk in our own way, we most certainly will stumble in the dark and be overcome by the devil. 

Prayer: Abba. We have fallen and lost the divine light you placed in us. We need Your Son, Jesus Christ, in our lives, because only He can bring light into the darkness of our lives. Amen
Thought for the Day:  I'll use His standards of right and wrong , not mine. I'll build on His morality in my life , not mine.

Dr. Sherin Athiyal, Atlanta MarThoma Church

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