More Light, Less Noise

A delegation of well-meaning patriots tried to impress upon President Abraham Lincoln the gravity of the American Civil War.* They implied that his administration was neither as wise nor as proficient as it ought to be.  He listened carefully, and then responded with a memorable anecdote... 

He told them that he once had a neighbor who found himself in a tight situation. He was traveling home one DARK and rainy night. There were few bridges in the country and he came to a stream that he would have to wade across. But because of the darkness and the rain, he couldn't see well enough to know just where to cross. 

Lightning flashed and he saw his way for the briefest moment.  But the man was perplexed because there seemed to be more thunder than lightning. He was convinced that every lightning flash was followed by several loud peals of thunder. The poor man just stood at the edge of the stream in his confusion about how to proceed. He finally prayed,"O Lord, if it's just the same to you, give me more light and less noise."  The delegation clearly got the point that the president needed more solutions and less complaining - more LIGHT and less NOISE!

Whether we realize it or not, YOU and I are also involved in a critical WAR!

It is a war of good vs. evil -AND- our very SOULS are at stake!  Satan, our archenemy, seeks to blind us -- to keep us in the dark -- "lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on us" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  He tries to distract us with a lot of "NOISE" - like life's worries, riches, and pleasures (Luke 8:14) - to keep us from finding the Light that illuminates the path to the truly ABUNDANT LIFE NOW (John 10:10) and ETERNAL LIFE TO COME (Mark 10:28-30).

Jesus said, "I AM the light of the world... He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).  Jesus has revealed the correct 
path in life for us to follow.  His Word - the Word of God - "is a LAMP to our feet 
and a LIGHT to our path" (Psalm 119:105).  Through His Word, we are enlightened 
to the fact that God loves each one of us and that He wants us to follow Him.  

The "well-lit path" is one of: faith (Hebrews 11:6) repentance (2Corinthians 7:9-10) confession (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  When we follow this path, we are brought "out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).  Then, as we CONTINUE to walk in the light of His Word, the darkness of SIN is CONTINUALLY cleansed from our lives (1 John 1:7).

Abraham Lincoln was right.  What we need is a lot more LIGHT... and much less NOISE!

God bless you.

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695  

*As re-told by Steve Goodier

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