Fireworks
by Malcolm Wood
Firework displays are now much more extravagant than the ones I remember as a boy when, every 5th of November, Dad would set off a one pound box of fireworks, much to our excitement and enjoyment! Now the most mediocre of displays can cost a small fortune, with the national and international extravaganzas costing even millions of pounds!
Have you ever stopped to think how much we can be like fireworks? Some fireworks (of the more humble variety) seem never to get their act together. All their energy is expended in 'fits and starts' and one is never quite certain what to expect. Others produce an amazing display of colour, lights and glitter and hold the onlooker spellbound for a while with their 'just look at me' effect, but nothing more.
Then there are those which just 'fizz and splutter' giving the impression of activity, but not really doing anything. And the ones which jump about all over the place, popping up here and there, create disturbance and chaos wherever they are. Some on the other hand produce nothing but noise, and loud noise at that. Their main purpose seems to be to gain attention by shocking all those in their vicinity. Another is the Catherine Wheel, as it used to be called. This is fixed to a post and, when lit, spins rapidly, spraying sparks and flame in a circle. It continues to do so until it is burnt away. All that effort and energy expended going round in circles and never getting anywhere! Finally, there is the rocket - it looks dramatic and exciting in the night sky, but before very long a dead stick and a burnt out shell returns to the ground, having promised much but gone nowhere!
The many varieties of firework can, sadly, be a picture of similar characteristics in our lives. And ultimately all fireworks only last for a moment and they are soon gone. But the light of Jesus never fades, so when our lives are truly shining for Him, we need not fear that the light will burn out. As we bear fruit for Him, we can display His glory in an ever-darkening world and give joy and hope to all who see His light in us. When people follow His light, they will not, like a dead rocket, have gone nowhere, but they will find their eternal destiny is secure in Him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that when your light shines, it never goes out. Help me to identify and deal with those things in my life that are like fireworks, promising much but achieving nothing, so that my life can shine for you with a light that never goes out. Amen
Malcolm Wood and his wife Anna became part of the Ellel family as House Managers at Ellel Grange in 1990. Since then they have been involved with many aspects of the developing Ministry. From 2001 until 2015 they were Directors of Ellel Scotland where they hosted several International Schools and Operation Blairmore and helped pioneer the exciting Creative Inspiration Weeks. They have three sons.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
