Shining A Light

Friday, January 20, 2023
Listen to this devotional:
Listen while you read: "Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling"1 (Lyrics)

Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

Recently, I have had the chutzpah to update my desktop computer. The undertaking has also involved the updating of my own technological skills due to the advent of new gizmos and widgets. It has been at least seven years since I built the last computer.

As a part of the process of updating the hardware, I decided that the operating system could be updated to the latest Windows 11. Sadly, I found that there were continual issues that prevented a successful update. The Microsoft Health Checker only said NO! It involved some techy stuff that was not sufficiently explained by the machine that said NO.

One key issue was that I had replaced my old hard disk drive with a new solid-state drive. Eventually, I found that it had been formatted incorrectly for the new Windows 11 to run. So, after days of trying to work it out by changing everything else in the start-up, I found that I was required to use a special programme that would convert it from the old format to the new one. However, under the new configuration, there is a far greater capacity for changes, security, and safety.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

When we become Christians, the old pre-Christian being has gone, and we have become a new creation, just like a newborn baby. The outside shell may have stayed the same — with a few scratch marks — but the inner workings have been irreversibly changed. Jesus brings a radical shift in our being. In reality, that is a little simplistic, because our redemption is an ongoing process that carries on until we die — well, it is for me, as I continually rush off at a tangent only to be called back by our faithful Shepherd.

In passing, I noticed that in the new setup, a light no longer lit up that shows when the storage area is being accessed. I checked the light, and it worked fine. In the start-up routine, I had put the computer in "stealth mode", which switched off all the lights, including this indicator. Our Christian lives can become like that: we can unwittingly go into stealth mode and switch off the light of Christ in us so that we no longer shine for Jesus.

So today, may you pray with me to ask Jesus to come into our inner selves once more and switch on the light of Christ to give glory to Jesus our Saviour.

Prayer: Lord, in us and through us, "Shine, Jesus, shine. … Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light." (Graham Kendrick) In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

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1 Comment

  • PresbyCan Feedback says:

    Amen, Rod.


    TMI Rod! Keep it simple!


    Thank you for sending this email.


    Rod – a brave undertaking, indeed. Certainly gives me an excellent comparison to ponder.


    Thanks, Rod, for this very meaningful and guiding devotional. There is no better light in our lives than the uplifting “light of Christ” and we need be very willing to share it with others. Blessings for these writings that you do.


    Thank you for your challenge to let our light shine and to tell others that Jesus is the Light of the World. I still remember that chorus that we sang in Sunday School so many years ago, and sometimes we need to sing them over and pray that we can let our lights shine in this dark world.


    OH MY GOODNESS, ROD, I would never have even thought of bringing our computer up to date by myself… and then to write a devotional from that experience… boggles my mind. I fear that my reaction to the attempt might be unholy!
    Thank you, again, for your insightful writing.


    Good morning, Rod! Loved your devotion and was amazed at your descriptions of all the parts of a computer. Since I love to write, the only parts I know is the on and off. But I’m learning even at seventy-five. Praise God for this means of testifying about our Lord and you did in this in this devotion. Keep up the spreading of God and his love!


    Hi Rod,
    I loved the analogy with updating your computer. It can be so difficult and sometimes keeping the faith is also difficult and it is easier not to reach out and shine the light of Jesus.
    We are having many dark days this January and that does not help the situation. “Stealth mode” is a reality some days.
    A great song was chosen to go with your devotional to remind us that He is always reaching out to us.
    Thanks for sharing as we pray for God to keep the lights on inside all of us. Blessings and enjoy the updated computer.


    Hello Rod,
    Thank you for sharing your story “Shining a Light” on Presbycan Daily Devotionals. Technology is really something, isn’t it? I find, you can’t live with it, and you can’t live without it. As soon as I read Windows 11, my head dropped. I feel for you. Windows 11 had so many issues, no one liked it. In my other office, we made the move from Windows 10 (which is no longer supported) straight to Windows 21. If we have to update the software, we might as well go all the way. Any Windows upgrade will have its own issues, but 21 has proven quite unique. The only issues are in Microsoft Windows Outlook — if that’s what you use for your emails. There are updates to fix those issues, but until then, you just want to scream. We’re still using Windows 10 here at this office and I’m not sure how much longer we can do that. All I can advise with technology, is do the research to see what others are saying about the new version. If there are too many negatives, stay away from it.
    Take care Rod and keep smiling. Blessings.
    (ON)


    Thanks, Rod. I like this. It’s so true:
    Jesus brings a radical shift in our being. In reality, that is a little simplistic, because our redemption is an ongoing process that carries on until we die – well, it is for me, as I continually rush off at a tangent only to be called back by our faithful Shepherd.


    Hello Rod,
    Oh, how I empathize with you and your computer problems!!! I am soon about to be 80 years old. I wish that some day God would inspire a computer expert to create a computer program that older folk can rely on and that does not make changes to our settings that we have created to suit our specific needs, without explaining in detail what we need to do, what buttons to click, and why. Thank God, He gives us His Holy Book as our instruction manual that we can easily access. Thank you for your message.
    Blessings on you
    (ON)

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