Light in the Darkness

Romans 2: 19

[A]nd are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness.

The way of Christianity, it is not always easy to discern. One thing I have learned, though, is that we must walk in the light. You are not surprised by this, I am sure, but I find it a more challenging issue to live than we may believe.

Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness,” (John 12: 46). Because of this statement, we go about the world trying to lure people out of the darkness and into the light. The compassion which drives that task is commendable. The problem I have seen is in the way we go about it. I have witnessed more condemnation, criticism, judgment and loathing in our approach than compassion. Jesus came as the light so that none should remain in darkness. We believe ourselves redeemed from a life of darkness and yet, we plunge ourselves right back into that shadowy world when we begin to address others. Believe this, one cannot defeat darkness with darkness. Only the light can dispel darkness.

The one who fights against another by criticizing and judging, only condemns himself. This is a hard lesson. We think we are of the light, but do we remain in the light when we see something we believe is amiss?

I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life,” (John 8:12). Life is in the light and so is love. I know, it gets old hearing about love, but it really is the only way to fight the darkness. Prayer has the power to change situations and people, but that prayer must be a prayer of reconciliation, healing, redemption and forgiveness. Only the light can overcome darkness. That means there is a better way to pray than asking God to change what we think is wrong with someone. It means hateful speech and harsh criticisms are to be set aside in favor of kindness.

If you watch, you will see other Christians and even whole churches focusing on methods of darkness. Obviously, that is not the way, but we only realize that darkness has crept back in when we stop and look around. I think when you observe the life around you, you will see that many of us are trying to dispel the darkness with more darkness. I know, though, that I can count on you to be a light, a true light in a dark place. Let Jesus’ light within you shine and bring joy and healing to an already hurting world.

Sun and Moon

Isaiah 60: 20

Your sun will set no more, neither will your moon wane; for you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be finished.

The time of Isaiah’s ministry is placed circa 740 – 700 B.C. (Halley’s Bible Handbook, 2000, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, p.366). So, the question I have is, “When is the time Isaiah wrote about in today’s verse?” John 12: 46 records Jesus saying, “I am the light that has come into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark.” When one takes these two verses together it is not difficult to conclude that Jesus is the one of whom Isaiah wrote. Jesus is the everlasting light.

If we buy into that logic then we are heirs to some other logical conclusions. Isaiah said that because Jesus, the Lord, is the everlasting light, we will have no more darkness. That is what Jesus said too, isn’t it? Our sun will set no more nor our moon wane. In other words, there is never a moment in which you do not have light. Consider for a moment, if the sun never sets and the moon never wanes then we have the greater and the lesser light at all times. Now what does that make you think of? I believe this should say to our hearts that the Father, who is represented by the sun, is always with us shining his light into our lives. Likewise, Jesus, represented by the moon never fades. He is always the full moon, the full light of our lives. His saving grace is constant, continual. He is ever shining his loving grace and the light of life on us. Every minute of every days is bathed in the warm glow of the Father and the Son.

As if that wasn’t enough blessing for one day, Isaiah went on to reveal that the our days of mourning are ended. We live now in perpetual glory. The glory of God, the goodness of God has been sown in our hearts and it radiates the joy of the Lord into every fiber of our being.

The joy of the Lord is yours and darkness is no more. That is some pretty great news. Thank you Isaiah!