Daniel 12:3, “The wise people will shine like the brightness of the sky. Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars forever and ever.”
Oh, the lazy summer days. The air is warm, the sun shines brightly, and the nights are relaxing. Remember, as a child chasing the fireflies or even trying to catch them in a jar? Sitting on my porch as evening sets in I enjoy watching my yard light up here and there with fireflies. Fireflies are just another sign of the wonderful summertime of the year. I giggle as my children called them butt lighters when they were little and just recently my oldest was visiting and left just as evening was setting in. She smiled and said, “Oh, look fireflies. I miss seeing those since I've moved more towards the city.” Such small creatures yet they bring so much joy. Today let's look at what we can learn from a Firefly.
Be full of bright ideas- Romans 12:6, “We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us. The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faith.”
- God created us in His image, yes? And God was very creative in His ideas and shared them generously for us to enjoy. God then gave us the ability to have different talents to share with others. Shine brightly for Jesus and use your gift sharing your ideas.
Pulse with excitement- Psalm 150:1-6, “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his Temple; praise him in his mighty heaven. Praise him for his strength; praise him for his greatness. Praise him with trumpet blasts; praise him with harps and lyres. Praise him with tambourines and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. Praise him with loud cymbals; praise him with crashing cymbals. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
- The lights of the firefly’s pulse as they fly around but they always keep lighting up. When we know Jesus and what He's done for us or does for us daily, when we truly have the hope of salvation, the excitement should just automatically flow from us. Like David said, praise Jesus for all to hear, always keep sharing your love and joy for Jesus as He does about you to His Father.
Have a healthy glow- Proverbs 17:22a, “A happy heart is like good medicine” Proverbs 14:30a, “Peace of mind means a healthy body.”
- When we stay healthy by living the way Jesus asks it will show to others. We will have a glow about us and when we feel Jesus lives in us, He shines through us to others. Our bodies are God's temple where the Holy Spirit lives and we need to do our part to stay healthy the best we can and not let worldly influences poison us away from God.
Delight in summer evenings- Ecclesiastes 6:9, “It is better to see what you have than to want more. Wanting more is useless—like chasing the wind.”
- The long summer days seem to go by faster than the fall and winter. While we can be out in nature and not freeze, we should take the time to slow down and enjoy life. Fireflies don't let things stress them out (well, maybe when being chased by a giggling child with a jar). They simply fly about here and there lighting the sky and our yards as they signal for each other. Slow down and let go of the stress.
Keep a childlike sense of wonder- Matthew 18:3, “Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
- Just the other day we saw some children playing in the water and jumping off their dock. They were laughing and having so much fun. I observed how easy it is for them because they have yet to learn how hard life can be because they have parents caring for their well-being and taking care of life. At times we should also have that childlike wonder. When life was less complicated, because we do have our Father, taking care of things for us. He provides, He protects, and He guides. Yes, we have adult responsibilities but there's no reason to stop chasing those fireflies.
Set a shining example- Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”
- It's because they light up that we know they are fireflies. They show us who they are by their actions. We can show others who Jesus is by our actions, and we can turn others away from Jesus by our actions. Jesus says let your light shine to others of who Jesus is. Share Jesus, share your joys, share your walk and be a shining example.
Lighten up! Philippians 2:14-15, “Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God’s children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world.”
- Oh, how this world can bring us down. How easy others can get us to grumble and complain. Yet, Jesus tells us to lighten up, stop letting this world bring you down. When you let Jesus lead in your heart and life those things that “get our goat” become easier to let go of because we can trust no matter what, God's got this, and God’s got us.
So, as the summer days pass by, and you step out into the evenings. Look for those fireflies (butt lighters) and take a page or two from their book. Before we know it, summer will end, and we'll be in full swing of the fall/winter days that will also pass by too quickly. Have a wonderful summer!
Most Christians know that the Bible is important to their lives—but few Christian actually know how to get into it (whether reading, studying, memorizing, etc). I could write out the many benefits to studying God's Word and I have but the best thing I have found is that we study the Bible so that we might know Jesus … not merely desiring information about Him but increase the intimacy we have with Him John 1.1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Let's continue our study with 2 Timothy chapter 3.
Study 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3- https://www.docdroid.net/q3HbtT1/study-3-docx
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