The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your Lord will be your glory. Isaiah 60:19  

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. I John 1:5  

In many Bibles the headline over the section of I John starting with verse five is “walking in the light.” There is a theme of walking in the light throughout I John. Of walking where God illuminates our path. The chapter starts out with a statement that “we,” meaning John and the disciples have seen this from the first. They had been with Jesus. They had seen, with their own eyes, heard with their own ears, and touched with their own hands, that God is the God of life. Personal testimony given so that others may also believe that God has no darkness in Him, none at all; He is light.  

Darkness can be scary. I remember my great Uncle Jimmy at my grandfather’s funeral. Lots of people were there and he and a few others stayed at a neighbor’s house. At bedtime he asked for a flashlight to take with him up to bed. They asked if he was scared of the dark. “No,” he said, “I just can’t see very well in it.” Isn’t that true of us all? When it is dark, it is hard to see. Can’t see the people around you, aren’t sure where you are going. Yes it can be scary as we imagine what might be happening that we can’t see.   

There is also darkness of another kind. The Bible speaks of the darkness of sin. That is one kind. There are times when we are anxious, depressed, sad, confused or feeling lost as we live our lives. When we don’t know what to do, or where to turn. It can seem very dark in the middle of a sunny day. In those times of darkness we can remember to rely on our faith in a Lord who is always there to illuminate our path. As we read in Isaiah, we have a Lord who is everlasting light. He prophesies there will come a day when we have no need of sun or moon. All we will need is our Creator Lord, our everlasting light.  

Lord you are the beacon that brings us out of the darkness. We know that sometimes we get distracted by things that hold us back. Help us ignore the temptations of the darkness that creeps in. We pray Lord, that we follow your light into your glory and live a life that gives praise to you. Help us press forward as you illuminate the path to everlasting life. Amen.   

Chris Gabel 

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party