2187 Parable of the Lamp
Podcast: BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for WomenPublished On: Wed Aug 26 2026
Description: Jesus tells a little story with big impact. Luke 8: 16-17, “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” Imagine a dark room where you can see nothing. You light a lamp so you can find your way around. How ridiculous would it be to cover that light up and stumble your way through darkness again? You have light now – use it! Jesus is reminding us that he has put his light in us. And his light within us is meant to be seen. Here’s where we get this twisted – we make this about us. Girl, this isn’t about you. This isn’t about others seeing you, noticing you, or liking you. This is about others seeing JESUS IN YOU. The lamp doesn’t say, “Look at me, look at me, I’m so glorious.” No, the lamp simply shines the glorious light it has from within. The lamp doesn’t create the light – the lamp CARRIES THE LIGHT. You don’t have to manufacture God’s light. You don’t have to become impressive. You don’t have to have your life perfectly together. You simply have to stop hiding what God is doing in you. What is God doing within you? If you’ve surrendered your heart and mind to him, he’s changing you. Can you see how he’s rewritten your desires to align with his desires? Can you see how he’s realigned your priorities? Can you see how he’s changed the way you see people and respond to situations? This is the literal work of 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” Do you see how Jesus’ work within you is making you a new person? Can others see it? THAT’S WHAT JESUS IS TELLING US! Let me light something within you that everyone can see. Don’t hide it – let it shine! Does anyone else look back on their journey and cringe at who they once were? Y’all, I disgust my own self. My number 1 goal was to own a private jet. My number 2 goal was to look ridiculously good in my private jet. And you know what I see when I look back on this journey – God was so incredibly patient and gracious with me. While I was growing materialistic and self-absorbed, he was absolutely determined to relentlessly chip away at my heart and recreate me. Now, the deepest desires of my heart are to have an old 1970’s Volkswagon bus where I can roadtrip to a parking lot near you, invite you to come sit down with me for coffee and a devotional, then we lock arms that day and go serve together in your community. I just want to hit the streets with you and shine Jesus in dark places. I want to get my hands dirty. I want to hit my knees. I want to sweat with hard work right along side you that makes a difference. I want my heart to break for the things that break God’s heart and actively do something about it. I want to dance and celebrate and relentlessly cheer for the good things God is doing. And then I want to hop back in my old 1970’s Volkswagon bus and roam around with God to find the next Jesus follower who wants to hop in for some coffee and live devotional and go out on another mission opportunity in their community. This is what Jesus has done in me. He changed me. He changed my desires. He changed my goals. He changed my priorities. I went from wanting a jet to an old van and a mission roadtrip. What has he done in you? What is he DOING in you? Don’t hide it – let it shine! Jesus warns of the danger of the bowl or the bed. He says, “No one lights a lamp and then COVERS it with a bowl or HIDES it under a bed. What’s your bowl? What’s your bed? It’s the things that try to cover or hide the light of Jesus within you. • It’s fear. Fear says hide while Jesus says SHINE. Then your fear becomes the bowl that hides that Jesus light in you. • It’s comfort. Sometimes it’s not that you’re really afraid, it’s just that you’re so darn comfortable as you are. God’s been nudging you to do something, but doing nothing is just easier. God’s been telling you to go, but you’ve been thinking maybe later you’ll do it. God’s been telling you to say something, but you’re just hoping someone else will speak up. Then you know what – your comfort becomes the bed where you lay and hide that Jesus light underneath it. • It’s shame. Shame whispers secrets of the past to us. Shame tells us we’re not worthy. Shame throws every bowl it can find over that Jesus light so the real you isn’t revealed. But there’s one thing you need to remind your shame – Your testimony was never ‘Look how good I’ve been’ – your testimony is forever ‘Look what Jesus has done.’ The darkest places in your life are actually where that Jesus light shines best! You know what else is the bowl trying to cover that Jesus light in you, or the bed trying to hide his light … • It’s busyness. Oh that sneaky little sucker that will slip right into our days and just make us so busy doing a thousand things, but still be hiding the light. We’re busy. We’re accomplished. We’re looking good. But we are so distracted that we aren’t actually showing the light of Jesus to the very people God has placed all around us. That’s my biggest bowl right there. I just get too busy. And my busyness will cover the light of Jesus in me and I’m just leaving people in their darkness instead of just showing them Jesus. Are you doing this too? Let’s get rid of these bowls that try to cover the light of Jesus in us. Let’s banish the beds that try to hide his light. Girls, let’s let what he has put within us SHINE! Matthew 5:16 says: “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Notice what Jesus doesn’t say: “…so everyone will praise you.” He says: “…so everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” That’s the whole point. We don’t shine so people will see us. We shine so people can see Him. That’s a powerful test for our lives: When people encounter me, do they see more of me—or more of Jesus? Your job isn’t to create the light. Your job is to carry it. And your job isn’t to make people admire the lamp. Your job is to make sure the lamp isn’t covered. Jesus, where do You want Your light to shine through me today? And then pay attention. Your life is someone’s opportunity to see Jesus. Don’t hide the light. Carry it. Let it shine. And when somebody sees something different in you, you don’t point to yourself. You point to Jesus. A few years ago I learned a prayer that Mother Theresa would pray every single day. I put that prayer in my notes and began praying it daily myself. It’s not magic words – it’s just a reminder to throw the bowl away and move the bed out so the LIGHT OF JESUS CAN SHINE. Here’s the prayer and how I say it: Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and no longer see me, but only you, Jesus. Shine on others through me. Let me praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach YOU without preaching, not by words but by example of everything I do in love for you. Amen. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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