Walking in the Light
“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” -1 John 1:5-6
Few will argue that a sunrise is a wonderful thing to witness. Powerful. Majestic. Magnificent. A quick internet query for adjectives used to describe a sunrise confirms even us bookworms, allergic to the sun, refer to them as Beautiful, Bright, and Glorious.
Why is it then that we love the dark so much?
If we love the light so much and ascribe so much significance to it, why would we rather scrounge and scrabble around in the dark? I’ve thought about it, and have some ideas. For one thing, it’s familiar to us. If you haven’t guessed yet, we’re not really talking about your ordinary garden-variety darkness we see every night. No, we’re talking old-school darkness; the skeletons in our closet, the sickness that invades mind and heart, leaving that all-too familiar stain. We’re comfortable in the dark because we’ve already spent so much time there. It’s like that old, smelly, ratty shirt my wife threw away when I was at work. We cling to our own darkness because the light illuminates and calls attention to our sin. It’s a darkness we need to shed, and it’s not a process we do once and call it good. Just as His mercies are renewed daily, our confession and supplication to Him must be continuous.
We don’t turn our backs to a sunrise to watch our shadow; the beauty of the moment would be lost. In 1 Peter 2:9 it says we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, GOD’S SPECIAL POESSESSION, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. (emphasis mine) James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. In John 8:12 Jesus spoke, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
We need to let the Light into our lives as surely as we need air to breath.
My heart cries out to be rescued by Him, my mind seeks to understand His ways, and my body finds ultimate rest in His presence!
Come out of the shadows and lift up your eyes! Don’t be so focused on your darkness that you miss the Light. Face the Sonrise!
Christ Jesus, we humbly ask you to fill our lives with your grace. Guide our hearts, speak with our tongues, and lead us in Your wisdom that we might be a beacon to others. We love you and thank you for letting us walk in Your everlasting light! AMEN
