The last hymn, “Yet There Is Room,” was being sung by Mr. Sankey alone. He had reached the last stanza: “Ere night that gate may close, and seal thy doom, Then the last long cry, No room, no room! No room, no room! Oh, woeful cry, No room!”

These last words of Dr. Bonar’s hymn fell upon the ears of the young woman like a sudden thunder clap she left the meeting, but the words went with her. “No room, no room!” still rang in her ears.

Conscience awoke at the sound of this warning bell. Nor could she rest until as she trusts, she found rest in the great Redeemer – Have you?

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (2 Timothy 1:8-9 KJV)

“I would like to invite you guys to join me for a Bible study this Sunday afternoon in the gym of the Care Center right behind the Pizza Hut at Washington and Rural. It’s a great place to get those important questions answered like, ‘Where are we going to go when we die,’ and ‘How should we live while we are here.’ What do you think?”

Ivan, Louis, and Raymond were interested. A guy telling them about the Bible was probably the last thing that was on their minds. Less than a block away, police were arresting a group of young men. The sounds of the city night were all around, and church and spiritual things seemed worlds away. However, it is into this world of darkness that we are called, and it is here that the light shines the brightest.

I remember as a young fellow, around 10 years old, that my folks took me to the Oregon Caves at Cave Junction.  There was an eerie feeling about the place; cold, damp, and DARK!  We continued to go down deeper into the ground until we came to a great big room about the size of the Gold Beach High School gym.

The guide explained all the interesting things about caverns . . . then, he said he wanted to show us something more.  Folks, I was already scared; what more could he scare me with?

He proceeded to explain the power of “light.”  He was going to shut off the lights . . . Right!  It was already too dark!  Then, he was going to strike a match and light up the whole room…uh-huh, yeh!

He did.  That match illuminated that whole room, I kid you not; you could see every nook and cranny . . . even the far walls of that big room.  What “power” that little match had!

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 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. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 KJV)

Have a nice day with your “flashlights.”

“We walked down the path to the well house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten — a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away.” -Helen Keller

Certainly, this was how the blind man must have felt when he saw water for the first time as he washed his eyes in the pool of Siloam. Just as the Light of the world gave sight to the blind beggar, and just as that “living word” awakened the soul of Helen Keller, so Jesus can awaken your life with the tender touch of His hand. He can give you light, hope, joy, and freedom like you’ve never known before. Surely there will still be barriers in your life, but barriers that can be swept away in time. Consider this:

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:8 KJV)

“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” (Philippians 2:15 KJV)

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV)