​WELCOME TO OUR DAILY BIBLE DEVOTIONAL STUDY SERIES: STARS ONLY SHINES IN THE DARK. TOPIC: THE CANDLE ON THE TABLE: CHARACTER BEYOND THE BUSHEL. MAIN TEXT: Matthew 5:15, "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." ​INTRODUCTION:  Fire is an invasive element; it refuses to be ignored. When God ignites a Soul with the light of His words, He does not do so for the sake of a private glow. He lights a candle with the specific intent of placing it on the "Table of Human Observation." The "Bushel" (the bowl) represents our excuses, our desire for safety, our fear of being "too much," or our tendency to hide our convictions to avoid societal friction. But a hidden light is a dying light; it consumes its own oxygen and eventually suffocates. ​MAIN MESSAGE:  Christ-likeness is likened to a lighted candle on a table stand, not tucked away in a corner of religious comfort, complacency, and Sensationalism. This visibility is not about "showing off"; it is about the Cost of Exposure. To be on the table means your manners, utterances, and inner heart motives are constantly being read in your daily lifestyle and character by the "house" (the world). ​Practical Christianity implies that your "Table Presence" must be consistent. People do not stumble over the candle; they use its light to avoid stumbling over other things. Therefore, your conduct and choices are either revealing the path to God or casting shadows that hide Him.  The depth of your character is tested when you are placed "on the stand", under the scrutiny of colleagues, family, and critics. Are you a "Table-top" Christian, or do you dive under the "Bushel" of compromise the moment the environment gets hostile? ​REFLECTION:  What "bushel" of fear or convenience am I using to hide the light God has placed in me? ​FURTHER STUDIES: Luke 11:33-36; Proverbs 20:27. ​CONCLUSION:  God does not light candles to hide them; if you are lit with the light of His pure undiluted word, expect to be placed where everyone can see you the pure beam of your light in your daily character and lifestyle that will lead others to Christ Jesus. ​LIFE TRANSFORMING PRAYERS:  Eternal Father, I renounce the spirit of cowardice. I refuse to hide Your light of truth in me under the bushel of public opinion. Give me the grace to stand on the "candlestick" of my generation, reflecting Your holiness in every room I enter in Jesus Christ Mighty name. Amen. GET IN TOUCH: Ago King Paul Evang. +234 90 63 84 57 48, 070 540 111 99. Life Changers Ministry aka Living Ready Gospel Church, Grace Assembly, Ilorin, Kwara state Nigeria. Email: Godisnotanoptionjhn15v5[gmail].com.