The rocky shores of time have long received the battered souls lost in the storm of sin. As men have traveled the sea of life and found themselves tossed about by the cunning craftiness of the evil one, the Creator of heaven and earth raised light to shine upon all mankind
. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (Jn.1:4,5)Through the darkness of sin, the Son of God shines bright to guide men to the safety of the harbor. The light probes the blackness of the night and the storm does not extinguish its power. As men seek to gain safety in the harbor, the storm increases to a violent surge of temptation and trial and doubt. The light shines even brighter to show the way to peace and eternal life. The lighthouse will bring men to the shore but much more work must be done.
As the storm increases with the ever-present shore drawing near, those lost in the waves cannot see the harbor. Then, through the darkness and wind swept waves towering over them, lights appear along the shore. The way comes clearer as the lower lights are burning to guide the struggling seaman to the place of safety. The lower lights are important to direct the lost to the harbor and bring them safely in. With the sight of the lower lights, those lost in sin know they are nearing the shore and salvation. Hearts lift high with the expectation of security in the harbor of God. Another soul is saved as they have responded to the Son of God, aided by the lower lights guiding them to peace.
Romans 10:14,15 declares,
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"
(Isa. 52:7)
The song written by P. P. Bliss portrays the storms common to Lake Erie as sailors caught in a violent storm, looked for the lighthouse and especially the lower lights to be burning. From those thoughts he penned a song about our need to shine as "lights in the world." (Philippians 2:15) The mercy of God has been shed abroad to all men through Jesus Christ. Those lost in sin are looking for those lights along the shore that will help guide them to safety. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16,
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."We are the lower lights that need to be burning in our words, our actions, our thoughts - our example of the light that is within us. Jesus further explains this in Matthew 6:22,23:
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" So many people in the world are lost in the storms of sin. Our light or our example may determine whether they find the safety of Jesus Christ. If we are full of darkness, we cannot be a light to those around us. The lower lights of our faith in Jesus Christ must shine brightly across the wave. At the persecution of Saul, "lower lights" went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8)