A City On A Hill

A CITY ON A HILL

By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly

“You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house.” – Matthew‬ ‭5:14-15‬ ‭GW‬‬

And I saw thousands of souls struggling in a churning sea.  Under the darkness of a moonless sky, without a boat, they were tossed.  Beneath them sharks swam, nipping at heels, eliciting sharp cries from those who flailed.  It caused them to cling to their neighbor, pushing them to submerge, sputter and gasp.  Exhaustion, chaos and hopelessness hovered over the waters like a mist, obscuring the small points of light that seeped out from around the boarded windows of the nearby city on a hill.  The city on a hill—a beacon of hope to those drowning, contained behind windows shuttered with fear.

Lord, we see chaos all around us —man’s inhumanity to man— fear, anxiety, selfishness and greed.  Efforts to rise by pushing our neighbor down, are countered by the actions of our like-minded neighbor.  There is sickness of soul— a scent from the pit, spiritual blindness and insanity that vie to overtake wisdom, morality and sanity itself.

Father, we are a city on a hill.  Within us is a light that can pierce the darkness.  Calm our fears over our own lives, so we will un-batten our windows, send out a lifeline and release life-preserving hope to the drowning.  We have nothing lasting to lose, but everything eternal to gain.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 16:25 ESV

Father, send Your Spirit to illuminate the fear that lingers in our hearts. Exchange our self-preservation-at-all-costs with wisdom, courage, compassion and love. Shine within us into the darkness, illuminating the faces of those for whom all hope appears lost, and those who for themselves have lost all hope.  May our arms reach out with rescue, at long last drawing them to the safety, peace and rest of the city on a hill.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️

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