Week 46: November 9-15, 2025 -Shine Your Light on Others
This week’s daily readings:
November 9-14, 2025
This week’s devotional:
Shine Your Light on Others
by Sue Hersey
Scripture:
Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. For the Lord gave us this command when he said,
‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’”When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.
— Acts 13:46-48 (NLT)
Reflection:
This story is a picture of the evangelism God wants us to do. We are commanded to be missionaries: to tell others about Jesus and what he has done for us. It isn’t always easy, and often—when we try to share our faith with those nearest and dearest to us—that message is not accepted. But the story doesn’t end there because, as Jesus tells us in John 8:12, “I [Jesus] am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” And then, in Matthew 5:14, Jesus said “You are the light of the world!” In other words, we—God’s chosen—are meant to spread the good news of salvation through Jesus like a floodlight onto everyone we encounter!
As I read all these verses, I began to wonder why the Bible uses the word “light” as a way to describe spreading the good news. Then it dawned on me (just like an iconic lightbulb going off in my head) that light really is a pretty big deal to God. It’s the first thing he created after making the heavens and the earth. God views light as a “good” thing: a symbol of truth and righteousness. And light is also the perfect counterpart to darkness, which tries to cover up all sorts of evil. Just as we are told to overcome evil with good, we are expected to use the light—our light— to shine out of our hearts onto all those who might be still living in darkness.
For all those God has preordained to be believers, our hope is that they will see that light and it will help them to know the truth and turn to God. Paul wrote this in his letter to the Ephesians (verse 1:18): “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”
Can you imagine a better inheritance that you could pass along to those you love?
Prayer:
Lord God, we pray that your glorious light brings understanding to everyone you have so graciously called to be your children. Please help our loved ones to see that light as the good thing that you have made it and not to reject that message. Light, as we know it, is so essential for life and growth. Shine that light down on all your children, helping us all to see your goodness and accept your salvation through your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life so that we may live. We pray this to you, knowing there is no better name in which we might pray. Amen