Praising God is about worship, but the song we pick, make or adapt comes from the situations we are in. The song This Little Light of Mine was sung during the 1960’s during civil rights protesting. This song was a Negro spiritual that stood the test of time and has found its way into mainstream Gospel music because of its message that all Christians can understand.

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says “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 with is in heaven.” This phrase from Matthew has been adapted into the popular phrases sung by children while holding up their index fingers and refusing to put it under a bushel.

We also see reference to the light of the world in John. Jesus is speaking to the woman that was caught in adultery by the scribes and Pharisees that wanted her to be stoned. This story contains the well known words of Jesus “He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7.)  In 8:12 Jesus tells those with him after the woman leaves “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  Again in John 9:4-5 Jesus tells his disciples “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 1:4-9 “In God was life; and the life was the light of men, And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

The little light we are to let shine is Jesus Christ. Jesus may have left this world physically, but he remains in the world not only in the things around us, but in each of us that has accepted Christ as our Savior. If you have Jesus in your life you no longer walk in darkness but have that candle of light within you. Jesus has commanded us that our light may shine to others. If you turn out the lights in the house at night and light a small candle it casts lights to far corners of the room. Jesus should shine like that in each of our lives like a beacon to all that don’t know him.

This Little Light Of Mine is taught in Volume Two of our Christian Guitar Lessons.