DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Synchronous Fireflies
by Mary Alice McGinnis
Watching fireflies light up the night sky is one of the most special summertime memories from my childhood. I bet you have memories of this too. It’s pretty universal. Did you know that there are over 2,000 species of fireflies across the world found in every continent except Antarctica? Just in the US and Canada, there are over 165 different species.
There is a unique species of fireflies called synchronous fireflies. One place this species is found is in the Smoky Mountains. These fireflies have a unique behavior. Once they begin lighting up the night sky, they synchronize with each other until they all flash together in harmony, creating a spectacular display.
Each of these unique fireflies have been gifted individually with the ability to glow in the dark. Yet, when they come together, their power to light up the night expands exponentially. It’s as though some master conductor is orchestrating it all.
Paul speaks to us today: “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.”
Jesus came into this world, not to condemn us. He came with a singular purpose - to save us. He took upon Himself all the guilt and shame we deserve and nailed it - once and for all - to the cross. He is "our" Lord and “their” Lord, so that we are uniquely bound together through Jesus.
You and I, brothers and sisters, are called by God. We are set apart, uniquely His, gifted to light up this dark world. Each of us now has the privilege of being a part of God’s master plan - His divine orchestra.
When we are called by God and made His HOLY PEOPLE, we come under the direction of the same Master Conductor. We can give up our puffed-up ego, our need to prove ourselves, and rest in what Jesus has done for each of us. Because of Jesus, “we will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul urges us to be “perfectly united in mind and thought.”
We can only be perfectly united in mind and thought when we raise our vision higher than ourselves. When we strive to see God’s bigger picture, seek to give Him glory, to draw those in the darkness to Him. When there is tension, discord, division, maybe we should ask ourselves,
“What is at the root of this?
Where am I going my own way, striving after my own agenda?
Where is God asking us to unite?”
God is calling each of us to lay aside seeking after our own significance, so that He can synchronizes us to harmoniously be His shining light in this dark world.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for your sacrifice for me on the cross. You have also called my brothers and sisters to You. You are the Master Designer of each of us. Help me to lay down my own agenda, and seek to come under Your direction, so that together, as ONE, we may be used of You to shine Your light in the darkness.
Wow, who knew there were so many different kinds of fireflies? Another example of God's gifts to us. These creatures have always fascinated and memorized me. I love how you wove this in to the scripture for today. "Perfectly united in mind and thought." (V10). Thank you for this memorable devotion.