I love where my desk currently sits in my office right in front of the windows. I am awake while it’s still dark, and for the past few days, that beautiful full moon has been directly in front of me. It’s amazing how much light the moon gives when it’s full…even though we know that it has no light in and of itself. It can only reflect the sun.

That’s such a perfect analogy for our relationship with THE SON…Jesus. Our hearts are darkened with the sin we inherited from Adam and our own sinful choices; we have no light to give to the world on our own merit. We can only give off the light we receive from the Son, through the indwelling Holy Spirit who takes up residence in us at the moment of salvation.

Luke 10:1 always reminds me of this fact. Jesus appoints seventy other disciples and sends them out in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. He gives them specific instructions and warnings. The way will be dangerous (spiritual warfare is real); they will go out as lambs among wolves. They are to be completely dependent on God to provide for their needs, through those who will receive their message.

The disciples go out in advance of Jesus’ visit. Their message is simple: the kingdom of God has come near to you. The response of their listeners will vary, but Jesus says clearly that when a person listens to one who brings the message of the gospel, they are listening to Him. Conversely, to reject the gospel is to reject Jesus and the Father who sent Him.

Those disciples went out as a reflection of Jesus, preparing hearts to receive Him. As witnesses of the gospel, we have no “light” to give to the people around us. We can only point them to the Son, and pray they receive Him when He speaks to their hearts and opens their eyes to understand the message.

As the sun comes up, the moon grows dimmer, and in the brightness of the daylight, it will disappear. Isn’t that what we want for our lives? As John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but we must decrease.” I want people to look directly into the face of Jesus, not at me. The moon is brightest when it is in direct line with the sun, and the night is darkest. When we stay “in line” with Jesus, listening, obeying, and reflecting Him, we will bring light to a dark world – a messenger of the true Light that is coming. We wait for the morning when the only light seen is Jesus, and He reveals Himself to the hearts of men.

What was the result for the seventy Jesus sent out? They returned with joy, having seen and experienced the power of God, as He used their obedience to transform the lives of the people they met (Luke 10:17). They did their job as “lesser lights,” preaching, teaching, and healing in the villages so that the people would realize the kingdom of God had come near.

Each morning when I see the moon, I know that it will shine for just a little while longer; it will soon be overtaken by the light of the sun. That’s still what a disciple does … we go out as reflections of the Son so that people will see our light and desire the source of that light for their own lives. As sons of the light (1 Thessalonians 5:5) we expose the darkness, shining ever brighter until the Day of the Lord comes, and the Son is revealed in all His glory.

How’s your light? Are you in “direct line” with the Son, or have the cares and concerns of this world darkened your influence? The night is short and the time to shine is now.

Isaiah 33:2 – O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of distress.

2 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2 Peter 1:19 – So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.