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The Parable of the Wick
There was once a wick.
You couldn’t say it was beautiful: you wouldn’t give it a second glance. It
had no colour to make it attractive. It had nothing to boast about. It had no
power of itself. It couldn’t even
stand up straight. It had no hands to work with, no feet to move with, and it
certainly had no brain at all! It was obviously not cut out for leadership. Yet it had been made
for a purpose. Without it, you could have an abundant supply of oil and still be
in darkness. It is true that the wick could give no light by itself. If you put
a match to it, the edge would simply blacken and smoulder. But the maker of the
wick knew exactly what was needed. He had an abundant supply of fragrant golden
oil. The wick received its baptism. Once it had been totally immersed in the
oil, it was ready for service. With one end in the oil and its length hidden in
the tube, it only needed the touch of flame to the other end and it produced a
golden radiance to dispel the darkness. You couldn’t see the wick, only the
golden glow. The wick had no might, no power of its own, but it became a channel
for the oil, which produced the flame. The wick was on fire, yet not consumed. The wick was not
wearing itself out trying to be something it was never meant to be. It wasn’t
rushing about and getting frayed at the edges. It just stayed where the master
placed it and simply acted as a channel for the oil to flow through. No one praised the
wick, or thanked it, or gave it much consideration, but ‘Let your light so
shine before God that they may see your good works and glorify you Father in
Heaven’. Matthew 5: 16. I hope you have had a
lovely summer. I have had a good relaxing and enjoyable holiday and a week at a
Christian family week in Co Clare. The mixture of rest on holiday and good
teaching and worship in Co Clare means that I’m feeling restored and renewed. PS: The New Wine
Christian Family week 2004 will be Monday 19 July —Friday
23 July. For more details, please speak to me.
Sam Wright |
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