The Power Is Flowing

“T

hey say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.” Thus begins a song made famous by the group, the Drifters.  The song’s title is simply “On Broadway” and provides the material for our devotional this morning. 

A few years ago, I was watching a documentary about the neon signs in downtown New York, especially at Times Square.  Companies pay literally millions of dollars for huge advertisement panels constructed of neon lights.  The signs range from the very simple to the very elaborate, with some consisting of several displays controlled by computer.  Untold hours of planning, designing, building, installing, and testing, go into the making of each one of these displays.  And what is the purpose?  The panels have only one goal, conveying a message from the advertiser to the consumer, “Try our product!”

What is amazing about these displays is that they are most effective at night.  When the sun sets and the sky grows dark, the streets of New York spring to life with light!  Everywhere, neon signs point people to restaurants, shows, shops, theaters, and movie houses.  The light from these signs provides artificial sunlight and, in a large respect, artificial hope and security.

In Matthew 4:16, we find a wonderful description of the coming of Jesus in to the world.  This passage reads, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew is quoting directly from Isaiah 9:2, a wonderful passage about the coming of the Messiah.

There are a few good lessons tucked away in this very small passage.  First, notice that the people referred to have been living in darkness.  This darkness is the darkness of sin which does not allow the light of God’s love and salvation to penetrate the soul.  People who live in darkness have no sense of direction and are constantly stumbling and falling.  Second, these people are also living in the “land of the shadow of death.”

Death here means spiritual death which is separation from God.  Since God is light, separation from Him would be complete darkness. Third, God does not intend for people to remain in darkness.  This is why He sent His son, Jesus, to die for the sins of the world.  When someone accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, the lights come on and the darkness of sin is dispelled.  The person stops living in the shadow of death and lives in the light of life!

Going back to those signs on Broadway, we can learn a lesson from them as well.  Neon signs operate on a very simple principle.  A gas is placed in a glass tube and electricity is passed through it.  As the electricity heats the gas, it glows and gives off light.  This is exactly what we Jesus commanded us to do.  We are to let the light of Christ shine forth to a lost and dark world. But we can only shine forth when the power of Christ’s love and salvation is flowing through us.  Without electricity, Broadway would be a dark, cold, cavernous ravine offering no light, no warmth, and sending forth no message. This is the picture of man without Christ.

When Isaiah wrote about this light, he was excited.  The long reign of death was over because the light of life had come.  We should also be excited and we should share the truth of this light with those around us.  Are you shining for Jesus today in a world that is dark?  Do those around you notice the light in your life?  Is God’s power flowing through you, lighting your way and giving others hope?  If the neon lights make Broadway bright, how much more will the light of Christ light your pathway today?