Light in the Darkness

 

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" Matthew 5:16.

Marisa and I enjoy singing the little song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine .... let it shine, let it shine for the Lord."  As she holds this little brightly-lit lantern in a dark place, it helps light her way and also helps illuminate her as well.  Everyone knows how important light is, yet, many people live in darkness and don't even seem to realize how dim are their surroundings.

Some choose to live in darkness because the light would too easily expose their sinful ways.  It's much easier to hide a multitude of evils in the dark.  John wrote, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light..." John 3:19-20.

Then, there are other people are so accustomed to the darkness, they don't realize their true situation.  They stumble through their lives and many of them don't know they could choose to live in the light and enjoy a much brighter, more colorful existence.  The next verse in John says, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

God's first words when He created this earth was, "'Let there be light,' and there was light" Genesis 1:3.  Always, light has been important to the Creator.  God wants us to not only live in the light, but also be a light in a dark world.  As children of God, we are to be like lights on a hill, helping those in darkness see a great truth (salvation) and also shining a spotlight of praise to our Savior and King.

To live in the light, we need only accept the free gift of salvation offered by the One who is the light.  Jesus Himself spoke to the people and said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" John 8:12.