The Lamp of the Body

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Learning and Growing With Jesus EVERYDAY. 

Today's Topic is: The Lamp of the Body

Date: Sunday, January 24, 2021

Bible Reading: Luke 11: 33-35 NIV

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.  Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,  your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,  your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”Luke 11:33‭-‬34‭, ‬36 NIV

Discussion Topic: Can my eyes lead me to sin?

Most of the time, the things we hide are the things we are not very proud of.  When we know that we are doing right, we want to be seen; we want to be noticed. But when we know that we are doing wrong, we make every effort to hide, and not to be seen. 

In our world today, there are so many things that fill our eyes with darkness. Whatsoever you see, enters your heart and your mind; and greatly influence your thoughts, your decisions, actions and behavior. Your eyes are one of the primary gates through which things enter inside your heart. Jesus taught us that, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” Mark 7:20-23 NKJV

Today, there are an abundance of channels, avenues and streams through which things that fill our eyes with darkness abound, such as, social media, apps, movies, video games, images on billboards, music videos, etc. And it seems like the devil is working overtime to create more and more suggestive contents that are eye-catchy, enticing and irresistible, to demand our attention and darken our hearts.  The distractions are powerful and endless, and often bear dark fruits expressed as lust, sexual immorality, rebellion, covetousness, greed, malice, theft, slander, and even murder.  

Have you noticed that what you do not see and what you do not know does not bother you? But once you set your eyes on something, all kinds of desire and lust are awakened in you.  Remember Eve in the garden of Eden, when the devil showed her the forbiden fruit, and she saw that it was desirable for food, that was it.  Have you ever desired what you have never seen or envisioned? Have you noticed how hard it is to ignore or overcome something that your eyes and your heart are focused on? 

One of the most remarkable stories in all of the Bible is the story of Samson. He was a man of extraordinary strength; judge of Israel and arch nemesis of the Philistines. His birth was miraculous and his rise to fame was nothing short of legendary. Samson’s commitment to God, through his Nazarite vow, was the key to his strength (Judges 16:17). Yet it was Samson's eyes that led him to Delilah and cut short his life. Samson's downfall came swiftly simply because "he saw a woman." 

Samson's failure to guard the gate of his eyes unveiled his weakness and unmitigated vulnerability to beautiful women. Samson's undoing came through the portal of his own eyes. The strong man who was renowned for his strength would be brought to his knees because he couldn’t harness his own fleshly desires. When the Philistines finally subdued him, after cutting his hair (Judges 16:9), the first thing they did was put out his eyes (Judges 16:21). Little did they know that they had done Samson a favour. By taking out his eyes, they eliminated the lifelong hindrance that Samson had. Now, in his blindness, he was able to see God like never before. His sight had proven to be his downfall and now his blindness would lead to his greatest moment of victory.  

When Samson’s eyes were removed, he did more in his blindness than he ever did with his sight and, may I add, he saw more of God in his blindness then he ever did with his sight.

Jesus is teaching us today to "Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness". Luke 11:35 NLT. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother or indulges the flesh is still in darkness. The prayer of every child of God ought to be, “Lord, remove from me that which hinders my view of You, and that which keeps me from accomplishing all that You desire me to do.”

Stay uplifted in Christ always and live Cheerfully everyday. 

Leader Chinedu Nicholas Obodo for EXOLOM Fellowship. Find us at Exolom.com