We also have the most sure prophetic word, to which you do well to be attentive like a torch that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns. 2 Peter 1:19, RV60.
I sought the Lord, praying and crying. From the bottom of my soul, I cried out, «Oh Lord, show me that you love me with an everlasting love.» Then I heard my words repeated like an echo: «I love you with eternal love.» I went to bed and, when I woke up the next day, peace flooded my being. The Lord assured me: «I loved you when you lived in sin, I had loved you before and I will love you always.» These words were written by John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress and a successful preacher.
On another occasion, this prominent Christian who has left his mark to this day said: “I was amazed at how people were striving for earthly goods, as if they expected to live here forever. If I had had the assurance of the salvation of my soul, I would have felt rich, even if I had nothing to eat but beans ». John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a torch in the dark. And for preaching the unpopular truths of the gospel, he ended up in jail. Although his sentence was not long in prison, he finally had to spend twelve years in it, because it was extended because he did not stop preaching. In and out of prison, John Bunyan was always a torch in the dark, as was his written work.
The Bible tells us about a torch that we have at our disposal today: the prophetic word; the Bible. We would do well to keep an eye on her. Although today torches look like strange objects from the past, the concept they represent is still completely understandable. A torch was essential in times past to be able to do something productive in the dead of night. In the same way, prophecy and Holy Scripture are essential so that today we can understand the type of footprint that God wants us to leave in this world. Being productive for the gospel is the highest calling to which we can aspire.
The people who throughout history were human torches, lights for Christ, were characterized as people of prayer, of faith, of a great deal of study of the Word of God, and vigorous preachers of it. It is our privilege to pick up the witness they left behind and be a light to the world.