Shadow of Light

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). There is one way, the only way, where we can walk out of the darkness of this world into the light of life. That is to walk with Him, as He walks with us, with confidence in His presence. The world had been living in darkness until the coming of Jesus, but then He came to light the way. He said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

When the Light of the World gave up His spirit and surrendered Himself to death, the land was plunged into darkness. ‘People loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil’ (John 3:19). But now there is a choice, to walk in the light or walk in the darkness. Walking in the light is walking with Jesus in the new life He offers. But there can be shadows…

We can be in the garden on a warm summer’s day enjoying God’s provision and being blessed by the natural beauty surrounding us. A shadow can suddenly descend upon the vivid colours of the flowers and they become dull. Birds stop singing and a chill wind passes over. Something or someone has come between ourselves and the light. We’re still aware of God and His goodness but something has intruded into our peace, blotting out some of the light. The shadow may become larger, and the presence of God is diminished. A darkness has invaded God’s space. We might try to ignore it in the hope that it will go away, but it doesn’t. We must call upon Jesus to identify and remove it. It’s only then, when the shadow is removed, that the full intensity of the light can be restored. Shadows can be large or small, but they all block out the light to some degree. The stronger the light, the darker are the shadows.

But there’s a bigger shadow. ‘Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty’ (Psalm 91:1). The shadow of God overcomes all other shadows. It’s not a shadow of darkness which blots out the light, but a shadow of light that blots out the darkness. It’s like a blanket of peace under which we can safely rest in complete security. It’s God’s protective covering over us, like an eagle protecting her newborn chicks: Hide me in the shadow of your wings’ (Psalm 17:8). She would even give up her life in order to save them.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence. As we draw near to our Creator His presence fills our spirit, as the glory of the Lord filled the temple. There’s no room for shadows. Once we lived in darkness, but now we can walk in the light of the Lord. Let’s continue to live in the light, and the darkness of this world will not overwhelm us.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that we who walked in darkness have seen Your light, which never goes out or becomes dim. But sometimes I waver. Please hold me in Your presence, Lord, even when dark shadows appear, that Your light would overcome all darkness, in Jesus’ name. Amen.