P.P. Bliss penned the words to his hymn “The Lower Light” after hearing Evangelist Dwight L. Moody preach a message about the need for Christians to keep the lower lights burning. During that message Moody illustrated his main point with the following event that had occurred a few years back:

“At the mouth of the Cleveland harbor there were two lighthouses, one at each side of the bay, called the upper and the lower lights. To enter the harbor safely at night, vessels had to sight both lights. Those western lakes are more dangerous sometimes than the great ocean. One wild, stormy night, a ship was trying to make its way into the harbor. The captain and pilot were anxiously watching for the lights. By and by the pilot was heard to say, “Do you see the lower lights?” The reply-- "No, I fear we have passed them.” The pilot searching the horizon said, “Look--over there are lights. They must be from the bluffs on which stand the upper lights. We have passed the lower lights and have lost our chance of getting into the harbor safely.” What would they do? They looked back and saw the outline of the lower lighthouse against the sky. The light had gone out. They could not turn about; the night was too dangerous for that. The ship would not answer the helm.The storm was so fearful that they could do little. They tried to make the harbor, but they crashed into the rocks and sank to the bottom. Very few escaped; the overwhelming majority found a watery grave. Why? Simply because the lower lights had gone out. Now with us the upper lights are set. Christ Himself is the upper light, and we are the lower lights. And His cry to us is, "Keep the lower lights burning." Jesus Christ will lead us safe to the sunlight shore of Heaven, where there is no more night.” 

Everyone that knows the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior has Christ as his upper light. He is the True Light. John 1:9 “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Jesus is the light of the world. John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” We Christians are the lower lights. We are placed by our Savior on the coastline of the harbor to point the lost sinners, who are in danger, to the Savior. Our job is to be obedient lights, not choosing how or where we serve, but yielded to His will. We are to be clean lights, not have our testimony dimmed or smudged by sin of selfishness, dishonesty, pride, disobedience, profane words, or evil thoughts. We are also to be bright lights, so filled with the Word of God, so bathed in prayer, so led by the Holy Spirit that everyone can see the light of the Lord Jesus Christ through us. We should on a daily basis ask God to empower us to be the lower lights along the shore pointing the lost to the salvation and safety found only in the Savior. We should ask God to help us keep our testimonies clean and pure so none go astray because our light was not shining brightly. Matthrew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 

The Lower Lights