#25: Lower Lights Burning

Brightly beams our Father's mercy

From his lighthouse evermore,

But to us he gives the keeping

Of the lights along the shore.

Dark the night of sin has settled;

Loud the angry billows roar.

Eager eyes are watching, longing,

For the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

Let the lower lights be burning;

  Send a gleam across the wave.

   Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

     You may rescue, you may save.

(Hymns, no. 335)

"Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" is a hymn that I really love. The first time I heard of it I learned a realatively unknown (at least to me) fact: Ships don't just use the one light shining at the top of the light house as their only navigation point. To effectively navigate you need at least 2 points to give you an accurate frame of reference. So a lighthouse will also have "lower lights" along the shore that help sailors navigate their way to safety of the harbor.

A lot of times we hear that we're like lighhouses that shine to others in the darkness. But really, the lighthouse is the Savior. He's the brightest beam, the first point of reference for sailors searching for a harbor. As followers of the Savior, we become the lower lights as we send our own small lights into the storm. As our friends and neighbors use our examples in reference to Christ, they are able to navigate the storms of life more effectively and find their way to the safety of the harbor. So the question we need to ask ourselves is: Am I shining my brightest so that those who see me can find their way home?

We have been given a great privledge to be the keepers of the lights along the shore.  How are we doing with that duty? Has your light stuttered and gone out? Then rekindle it--find a match and strike it! The Lord needs you!  If you're doing your best to keep your light glowing brightly--shine on! "Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, you may rescue, you may save!"

Let our lower lights be burning

The Light Along the Shore
(This is an article I found while researching this blog. It shares a personal experience the author had with this hymn.)