Jesus says,
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14 (NLT)
Jesus calls those that apprentice to His ways the light of the world — a city on a hilltop. This was an interesting phrase Jesus used that typically referenced Jerusalem. Jerusalem housed the Temple where the Jews would gather to hear teaching, worship, celebrate various feasts, etc. Meticulously crafted according to God’s specifications, this Temple held a special place among the worship of God’s people. God’s very presence and blessing was associated with the Temple. Many of Jesus’ interactions with those he touched and healed were around the Temple. He cast out demons at the Temple (Mark 1:23-25). He healed a man’s hand (Luke 6:8-10). Jesus healed a woman who couldn’t stand up straight (Luke 13:12-13). There was expectation around the Temple. For those that would journey to the Temple, there would be hope for God to move in a profound way. And Jesus says his apprentices are the “light of the world, a city on a hilltop…” Paul tells the Jesus Followers in Corinth:
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT)
As God’s living temple, we can have expectation for God to move, to transform, and for God to redeem BECAUSE His spirit lives in us. Do you have expectations for God to move in your daily life? One of the great works of the Enemy is to dissuade us from having thoughts towards outcomes and situations being different. We drift through life with little hope; “this is just the way it is . . .” becomes our mantra. But God HAS moved in our lives, and God WILL move at just the right time as we follow Him. Spend some time today allowing these prompts to direct your thoughts:
- Is there an area of my life that I have given up hope?
- What would it look like if I were to allow myself to have expectations for something to be different?
- This is a big step, but consider sharing with your Community Group, Triad, or close friends this week your expectations, and allow them to pray for you.