Covered in Rags

COVERED IN RAGS

For some time now, I have been looking at a beautiful lamp with a rag thrown over it.

And it has been eating at me.

I know what is underneath that rag.

A beautiful lamp full of light .

The lamp was made to shine, yet someone has covered it. The light is still on underneath the rag, but nobody can see it.

Every time I look at it, I hear the words of Jesus:

“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” Matthew 5:15

And suddenly I saw something more.

The rag is us covering His beautiful Light.

Our own righteousness.

Our own identity.

Our own understanding.

Our fear.

Our shame.

Our religion.

Our need for the approval of others.

Layer after layer of what we have placed over what He put within us.

We keep trying to make ourselves acceptable to God. We try to become good enough, righteous enough.

Yet all the while, underneath our coverings, is the One who said:

“I am the light of the world.”

The answer is not to decorate the rag.

Take off the rags.

There is another beautiful picture of this in Zechariah.

Joshua stood before God clothed in filthy garments. God did not tell Joshua to clean them.

He said:

“Take away the filthy garments from him.”

And then:

“See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”Zechariah 3:4

God removes one covering and gives another.

That is when I looked beyond the lamp and noticed the house.

The house itself has plenty of light available to it, but the blinds are closed.

The light is outside.

Yet the house has been shut up.

And I wondered how often we do the same thing spiritually.

We ask God for more light while covering the Light He has already given us.

We ask Him to show us the way while keeping the blinds closed.

We ask why there is darkness in the house while His Light is sitting there beneath our rags.

The Light has not failed.

Maybe we don't need to ask God for more light.

Maybe we need to ask Him:

“What have I covered Your Light with?”

Jesus never told us to manufacture light.

He said:

“Let your light so shine before men…”Matthew 5:16

So take off the rags.

Open the blinds.

Stop covering Christ with everything you thought you had to become.

And let the Light that was there all along - SHINE.

That’s for all of us !