Keep Your Candle Burning

For my first blog post, I wanted to share something that the Lord gave me back in October of 2020.

I was sitting in the living room in my apartment and I got up to go light the white taper candle in my candlestick. As I lit the candle, a drop of wax fell onto the table. And I felt the Lord impress this thought in my heart. I sat down and scriptures started coming to my mind as I wrote out the notes for this post.

I thought to myself how we, as souls, are like candles. When we’re lit and on fire, we’re burning. When we are filled with the Holy Ghost and actively being renewed in prayer our candle is being used, our wax is melting and we’re leaving a mark on the world. And if we continue to have this fire burning our whole lives, we will have given our all the Kingdom of God. Our whole candle will have been used up, we will have given everything.

"The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord..." -Proverbs 20:27

"For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness." -Psalms 18:28

BUT…if we chose not to light our candles (seeking the Lord, being renewed in the Spirit), then our candle will never be used. The wax in our candles will never melt and touch the souls of this world. And eventually, we will arrive at the end of our lives with a whole candle, and nothing accomplished for God’s kingdom.

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." -Matthew 10:39

Those of us who chose to stay on fire our whole lives, doing a work for the Lord, will eventually pass on and find eternal life!

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." -Revelation 22:5

But those who choose to never light their candle will lose their life.

"The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him." -Job 18:6

The love of many shall wax cold! Because of iniquity, choosing this world over eternal treasures, many will wax cold and suffer in the end. We cannot keep our candles unlit or dim.

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." -Matthew 24:12

"For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out." -Proverbs 24:20

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,

If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

-Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past – Poem by C.T. Studd

There was a young lady years ago who sang this song at a Christmas choir concert. She is no longer living for the Lord, but this song has stuck with me all of these years. While it may be considered a Christmas song, I thought the lyrics perfectly summarized my thoughts for this post.

Light a candle
For the old man who sits staring
Out a frosty windowpane

Light a candle
For the woman who is lonely
And every Christmas is the same

For the children who need
More than presents can bring

Light a candle, light the dark
Light the world, light a heart or two
Light a candle for me
I’ll light a candle for you

Light a candle
For the homeless and the hungry
A little shelter from the cold

Light a candle
For the broken and forgotten
May the season warm their souls

Can we open our hearts
To shine through the dark?

Light a candle, light the dark
Light the world, light a heart or two
Light a candle for me
I’ll light a candle for you

Ooh and in this special time of year
May peace on earth surround us here
And teach us there’s a better way to live

Oh, and with every flame that burns
We must somehow learn
That love’s the greatest gift
That we could ever give

Light a candle, light the dark
Light the world
(Light a heart or two)
Light a candle for me
I’ll light a candle for you

-“Light A Candle” Avalon

If you made it this far, I just want to encourage you to continue to light your candle daily. Let it burn continually for the Lord. Your prayers, diligence, and love are never in vain. God bless you!

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." -Matthew 5:15

"The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." -Leviticus 6:13