What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.
John 1: 4-5 The Message
The contrast between summer days and summer nights is startling. During the day, the sun is a constant presence in the sky. The heat we experience is a reminder of its power to warm us, sometimes more than we wish it would!
Yet at night, a given location in our latitude can still be as dark as winter, especially if the moon is not in the sky. Still, as sure as anything, the Lord promises us that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. It will be a new day. Once again, we will say, “This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice in it!”
The Gospel of John makes the connection between Jesus and light to illustrate the power of Christ to transform the world. Even when the forces of sin and evil seek to advance their aims upon us, they will not be successful. Why? “The darkness couldn’t put out the light!”
Faith is most needed when it seems like the forces of evil are winning. The great preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, once said, “To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark- that is faith.”
May we be comforted in knowing that when Jesus came into our world, the Life-Light did blaze out of the darkness. Jesus’ love and light can never be extinguished, even when there is darkness. Never ever! That is our good news, all year long.
Prayer
May You shine in my heart today. I long for Your love to reach into the dark places I see all around, from my community, to our state, our nation, and even to the ends of the earth. When my heart faints at the power of evil in the headlines, remind me of the power of Your Word. Let me cling to the eternal truth that You will always shine forth. All of the forces of evil can never extinguish You, or Your love for us. I pray this prayer in Your holy name. Amen.
