This Little Light of Mine!

He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. He said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. “When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’” So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands.            {Judges 7: 16-19} NASB

When The Lord called Gideon to lead Israel against their enemies, He wanted to show the Israelite s that a small army sanctioned and authorize by God was more efficient and successful than huge armies. But look how they came to battle– with weapons that an army would as a rule would not use. They fought with the shofar (A trumpet made of a ram's horn, blown by the ancient Hebrews during religious ceremonies and as a signal in battle, ) and lamps! They fought with weapons that the world would consider ineffective, yet the Israelite s overcame and prevailed mightily over their enemies. They shouted as loud as they could, sounded the shofar, and broke the vessels that held the fire so that their lamps erupted all the way through with brightness and intensity. The trumpet was and still is symbolic of the word of our God. We as Christians must put forth that certain and sure sound. The sound of that mighty rushing wind! We must keep our lamps all trimmed and burning!

This Bible story is a powerful symbol and image for us. If we look at ourselves as "earthen vessels" holding the fire of God, in other words,  the Spirit of God within us, then a "breaking" of the outer man is needed and is essential for His inner light to come through. Victory, Triumph, and achievement can come out of brokenness. Do not ever forget that. The old life, often called the "old man", (self) when it is actually and beyond doubt crucified and broken, will give way to the release of the Lord's Spirit that will and can come into our lives. God cannot and will not fill that which is already filled with self-will, The death of Christ has broken the power of our self-will, because we were crucified with Him. When we remember and become aware to that very statement we will see the bright light and the victory that awaits us as his followers. Remember, we are the light of the world and we can be that light only as long as we are full of the Word of God.

We must, as followers of the Lord let the love, peace, joy, and all the Fruits of the Spirit breakthrough in our lives. Our old life of Self has been and is continually being broken, as the Lord’s  triumphant and victorious light shines through our earthen vessel. Just like Gideon and his men won a great victory that day, we can too! This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine!