John Henry Jowett, prominent preacher of two or three generations ago, served as pastor of distinguished churches both in England and America. He used to tell of a stormy evening when he was entertained in the home of an English countryman. Sometime after nightfall, the hour came for him to leave, to catch his train back to the city. As he arose to go, his farmer host walked with him to the front gate. There the farmer gave him a lighted lantern, pointed to a light in the distance, and said, "Yonder light is Saddleworth Station; make for that. The lantern will keep you from falling into the ditch; but keep your eye on the glimmer in the distance."

In the daily walk of our life, sometimes in darkness or storm, we have to give a lot of attention to staying out of the ditch. We need to use what light we have to keep from falling in. This is important; and our worship of God can give us lighted lanterns for this kind of seeing.

But there's something more. In worship we lift up our eyes and look beyond; and, if we look carefully, in the distance we can see a glimmer. This is important; for the glimmer is the high goal, the object of the long quest, the light that directs the course of our journey, and we need this.

Friend, may you go from here today with a light for your next footsteps. But this alone is not enough: Never take your eye off the glimmer that's yonder in the distance.