You Light Up My Life ♫ ♪

Have you ever seen or maybe had one of those bicycle generator lights?  My new wife and I had decided that we wanted to do some bike riding together so we went to our local Schwinn dealer in the first year or two of our marriage to look at some new rides.  Piper’s family home was in a secluded neighborhood at the top of a steep winding road.  That location did not make for regular bike rides!  She and her sister actually kept their bikes at the bottom of the hill and down the busy street at her Grandparents home.  Needless to say the logistics of the bikes, the hill, busy thoroughfare and the time and effort to get there did not lend itself to the pleasure of cycling!  I on the other hand rode a lot as all I needed to do was open the garage and ride out into our quiet neighborhood!

When we got married Piper’s bike was old and in need of repair from sitting around in her Grandparent’s patio, and I just wanted something newer than my old childhood three-speed!  Anyway… we returned from Dale’s Schwinn Cyclery with a new and shiny Varsity Ten Speed for Piper and a slightly used Super Le Tour 12:2 for me.   

We put quite a few miles on those bikes up to the time we started having kids.  Then they spent a lot of time gathering dust in the garage!  In 1979 I took a summer job at a contemporary furniture store in downtown Santa Rosa to help boost our regular income from my ministry position at the First Baptist Church.  In an effort to save on gas and wanting to get in a little better shape as I was taking six youth to a national youth conference at Green Lake, Wisconsin at the end of the summer, I cleaned up the old bike and rode to work each day.  There were a few times that I worked late, so I decided to get a light for the bike.

That is when I first invested in a generator light kit.  They are cool because they are totally self-contained and generate their own electricity to power the light.  Once the little wheel touches the tire the process begins.  The harder you petal the brighter the light glows.  The one down side is that it does put extra drag on the wheel and the rider is forced to exert more effort to turn the bike petals.  After a while though, you stop noticing it and push on like the extra drag was always there!  By the time the end of the summer arrived, I was in pretty good shape and ready for two weeks with a group of lively youth and a train ride back and forth across the country!

Piper and I had a similar experience last Saturday afternoon as we generated some power to light up our attitudes and our faith!  When we had completed our lunch, I stood up to take her hand and help her up when I began to think about all the Word that I have been speaking over her in conjunction with John’s comments in John 1:4.  Here the Apostle of love declared: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (MKJV)

With that, I took her hand in mine and began to speak out from memory many of the healing scriptures we are standing on.  At first it was a little slow and maybe a little difficult to remember some of the verses, but as I persisted it began easier and easier.  Before I knew it the anointing must have taken over as the various scriptures were flowing non-stop from my heart to my lips.  And as the scriptures poured out, the whole atmosphere and sense in the room dramatically changed.

Both of us found ourselves with huge smiles on our faces and felt the power of God and the love of Christ filling that room.  Romans 10:17 informs us that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (KJV)  Well, let me tell you that we truly experienced that truth in our living room on that day!  After a while I stopped speaking and the two of us just held our positions and stared at each other.  Finally after a few moments of silence all I could say was “WOW!”

That must have been the same type of response that the two men who had spent time with Jesus on the road to Emmaus felt in Luke 24:32.  Jesus definitely stirred them up just as He did through my speaking out His Word on Saturday afternoon!  Do you need a little stirring up today?  Is there a situation you are facing that is wanting to drag you down?  Well, I suggest that you put your mouth to work!  Start speaking the Word!  If you don’t feel comfortable depending on your memory, grab your Bible and speak out off the pages of His holy book!  Either way, speak it out loud so that you can hear it and thereby allow it to reach inside you and build your faith and energize your spirit, your mind, your emotions and your body… and most likely anyone who is fortunate enough to be within the reach of your voice!

You and I have the power and ability to change the atmosphere around us!  Go right to the source of life and let Him light up your day!  And then have a great day!  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… What or Who’s Word am I expecting to change my day today?”