Light in the Darkness

Recently I was at a Christian meeting where there was a godly and gifted Bible teacher explaining the truths of God’s Word, and how we might apply them to our lives. I had come from a busy week at work, and generally living in the world. I was very conscious of the truth of what was being said, and how much most of the people I’d encountered during the week needed to know it. I had an overwhelming sense of sadness that there were so few people at the meeting to hear the life changing words of truth.

As I sat there, holding my sadness before the Lord and mulling it over, I felt Him remind me of His teaching about being the Light of the world (John 9:5). As each of us accepts Jesus, and we increasingly make Him Lord in our lives, a light comes on, and begins to shine in the darkness of the world.

Then the words in John 1:5 really spoke to me ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it’. I thought about how it only takes the tiny light of one candle, or even a match, to dispel the darkness in a room. OK, so it may not be quite the same as walking in broad daylight, but the darkness is dispelled, and there’s nothing the darkness can do to put out the light.

As I thought about this, and realised that we few people, who were hearing the truth that day, were having more light turned on in our lives, and as each of us went back out into the world, that light would shine in our individual situations.

It does seem quite often these days that the world is becoming a darker place, but Jesus is the Light of the World, and, because of that, so are we. We need to take heart that the darkness can’t put out the light, but that the light dispels the darkness.

There’s a bit of a challenge for us in today’s verses, because they suggest that we could choose to allow our light to be hidden under a bowl or basket. However, I believe that it’s all about being willing to be on the lamp stand, rather than getting back into striving. It’s allowing God to use us, and the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.

Prayer: Father, thank You so much for sending Jesus to be the Light of the World, and that we too are called to be light in the world, because of Him. Lord, please increase the light in my life today and every day, and help me to be willing to be a lamp stand in the situation and community that I live in. Show me what that means for me, Lord. Amen.