This week we move onto the next section of the sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). He tells us ‘Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew 5:16). Some parts of scripture can be ‘hard to understand’ (2 Peter 3:16). This is not one of them! Three things about letting your light shine: 1) When you don’t, repent and seek God’s forgiveness and know you have received. 2) When you do, know indeed that you give glory to God. 3) If you do either (1) or (2), know that God blesses you (Matthew 5:3)… but reflect on what a thing it is not to grieve God, give glory to him and be blessed out of that!

Rich pickings: The readings this week are, as ever, beautiful and profound. I commend all of them to you for your quiet devotion time. I suggest especially that the Isaiah 58:1-12 reading would richly fill you with God’s spirit of encouragement and restoration. It has been a difficult summer with, among other things, heat, bushfire, coronavirus and awful tragedies in the news. All this on top of your own personal difficulties you’ve had to address or maybe are running from! So allow God to speak a new word and restore. For this is the promise of what Christ has done, in which we have a generous share (Matthew 5:3): ‘Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in’ (Isaiah 58:12)