“THE DARKNESS IS PASSING AND TRUE LIGHT IS ALREADY SHINING.” —1 JOHN 2:8, NIV
Christmas arrives at the darkest time of the year, during the shortest days and longest nights of the winter solstice. That’s why one of my favorite things about Christmas is the lights.
The lights of Christmas pierce the darkness!
The stores put up their lights; city lights brighten the landscape. Then the neighborhood…and finally, the Bentley lights go up and the season feels right. At the first Christmas, angels lit up the sky with glorious light, as “the glory of the Lord shone around them,” sending the shepherds to Bethlehem. The magi followed a beautiful, bright light in the sky, the Star of
Bethlehem, and found the baby Jesus.
Even as seasons change, so do our lives, with days of joy and days of darkness. Too many dark days, one relentlessly following another, can make us doubt and question God and His love. The prophet Jeremiah, one of God’s own spokesmen, admitted his doubt: “I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember the feeling of hitting bottom” (Lamentations 3:19-20, Message).
When you need LIGHT to cast away the darkness and shadows of doubt, remember, it is in the darkest part of the night that light will shine the brightest.
“The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” —Psalm 27:1
Light changes what it touches.
When sunlight touches us, it gives us life, nourishing us with warmth and nutrients like vitamin D.
When the light of God touches us, we are changed and see our circumstances differently. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said (John 8:12). He dispels the darkness and gives us new insight and a clearer picture.
The apostle John tells us, “the darkness is passing, and true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8, NIV).
The true light is already shining! We don’t have to make it happen! (Check that off our list of pressures.)
Jesus is shining in the darkness, ready to ease the burdens you carry and give you a lift of hope and glory. Let yourself receive the blessings and protection He desires to provide you with.
“But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3).
I pray that you will experience the love of His light and allow yourself to break the gravitational pull of everything weighing you down. Let Him raise you to be seated—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus. I pray that this season is one of glory, LIGHT, and love for you and your family.
