Living in the Light

A couple summers ago, we found our favorite campground and campsite in Bear Head Lake State Park near Ely. The sad thing about that trip is that we were tent camping and it rained 6 out of the 9 days and we saw the sun for literally 3 hours, only through broken clouds.  Nonetheless, we loved the remote location at the edge of the Boundary Waters.

One night after supper, the girls took off on their bikes to go take a shower.  I told them to take a flashlight, but they refused to take one, saying they didn't need it - they’d be back well before sunset.

As the sunlight dimmed significantly, I became worried.  The darkness seemed to settle quicker than usual, and soon rain clouds darkened the sky.  As the sun set and shadows in the woods disappeared, it became very dark.  With the darkness, I worried about my girls.  It became so dark that my eyes would not adjust and the only way to see was with a light.

 

The trip to the shower house was long, being on the opposite side of the campground.  I grabbed a flashlight for myself and wondered on the walk if the girls set out on their own only to be lost in the dark; they could have taken the wrong path very easily; would they be lost?  I was relieved to hear their conversation and laughter in the shower building as I got closer.

Once we headed back to our campsite, the girls became frustrated with me for coming to get them.  “We’re fine,” they said.  "Don't you believe in us?" disappointed that their dad had to come find them.

“It’s black out here without a light,” I said, “and it would be very easy for you to get really lost!  This is not the city, girls, and you could easily be headed the wrong way."

“Dad, we’re fine!” they both insisted.  The conversation went on for a few minutes. 

Just to teach them a lesson, I turned off my flashlight. All of our paces slowed as we all tried to get our eyes to adjust.  But it was too dark by then.  The only solution was to turn on the light, but I resisted until they demanded that I turned the light on.

 

All at once we could see where we were going. 

I was reading John 8:12 the other day.  Just to set the stage, Jesus was teaching a group of people when a mob of men were about to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery.  The men brought her to Jesus, saying, "The law of Moses says she must be stoned.  What do you say?" trying to trick him into some unacceptable answer.  Finding Jesus, the woman heard him say, “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”  When the men dispersed, Jesus said to the woman, “Where are your accusers now? Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more.”

John 8:12 says, “When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said, ‘I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

What words can describe LIGHT in a metaphorical way?  I think of guidance, life, right-ness, righteousness, illumination, awareness, power, hope, faith, love.  In the Old Testament, light was used to describe creation, “a lamp,” power, justice, weapon of righteousness, rescue.  In the New Testament, light meant guidance, and in Revelation, lightening is used as a weapon of righteousness to strike down evil.

What about DARKNESS?  Despair, uncertainty, cold, hopeless, depression, sickness.  LOST is one word I think of.  FEAR may be a close second!

In this verse, Jesus was talking about understanding.  When Jesus spoke these words, he is saying “I am the understanding of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in confusion, but will have the understanding of life.”

Living in Christ is living a life that CONTRASTS our world. (DARK).  Our lives are very different from how we used to live, when we walked in the dark path in the campground.

The men in the verses from John were operating in the law.

 

Jesus was operating with grace. 

See, Christ is the only one who can bring us back home.  He is the only way to have light.

When we believe, we come out of the dark into the light of understanding.  We see things differently:  TV becomes a distraction; the news becomes a distraction from the real message and truth; we gain a different perspective as if we’re on the outside looking in, saying or thinking, “What in the world is going on?” and knowing it’s the darkness. 

We have a better way, don’t we? 
Being in the Word daily brings light. 
Prayer brings light. 
Serving others brings light. 
Supporting others brings light. 
Spending time with our brothers and sisters in Christ brings light. 
Knowing Jesus brings light.

Who do you know that's in the dark?

What can yo udo this week to bring some light to them and bring them closer to Jesus?

Christmas is our celebration - God came to us as his light in the form of a baby, who would become our only salvation, giving his very life for us, so that we would be forgiven of our unpardonable sins and live with him - in light - forever.

"Father God, right now we pray for those we know who are in the dark.  PIERCE their darkness, Father.  PIERCE it with your eternal, great, everlasting love.  We open our hearts to your plan in whatever part we can play in your grand plan.  We thank you!  We glorify you!  We praise you!  And we love you!  In Jesus name we pray, AMEN!"