Jesus Is the Light We Need
"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79)
Have you ever been walking on a dark forest path at night? If it is pitch-black all around you, or if it is foggy all around, then you cannot see much of anything. It can be a little scary walking alone on a path like that.
If you had a little keychain flashlight with you, it would be a little less scary, wouldn't it? It's amazing how much comfort one tiny little light can provide if everything around you is dark and unknown. And it would be even better if you had a large floodlight to carry, or maybe if some lamps are placed along the pathway to help illumine (light up) the way for you. You could take each next step with confidence. You might not be able to see very far down the path. You might not be able to see where it's going to end up, but at least a floodlight or some lamplight could give you enough to help you keep going those next few steps.
But imagine that you had no flashlight. No floodlight. No lamplight. Not only are you wishing for some light to help you feel less afraid, but you are also in need of light to help you get around! You are in a real hurry to get OUT of this dark, scary forest as soon as you can. The only problem is – you cannot see the path at all!
Now, in your mind, imagine a miracle happens: In a single instant, the sun comes up and fills the whole forest with brilliant light. Of course you can see far enough to take your next few steps, but you can see so much more than that! What a tremendous comfort! You can see exactly where the pathway is leading, you can see whether there are any snakes or bears hanging around the pathway, and you can also see the beauty of the forest all around you – beauty that had been hidden before by the darkness.
Many times in the Bible, sinners are described as being lost or confused or in darkness or hopeless. If you think you might feel lost and hopeless in a dark forest, just think how much more serious it is to be lost and hopeless in spiritual darkness. And if you think you would be happy to have a tiny flashlight or some lamps along a dark forest pathway, just try to imagine how much more we ought to be thankful that God offers us a brilliant spiritual future if we will look to His Son Jesus as the only One Who can save us out of spiritual darkness. No repenting sinner is truly without hope or without comfort – not if he or she will trust Jesus Christ for salvation and forgiveness from sin.
The first chapter of Luke is an introduction to the story of Jesus' birth. In it, sinners are described as "them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death," and Jesus is described as "the dayspring from on high." Jesus is the miracle, and His coming as a baby was like a miraculous, comforting sunrise ("dayspring from on high"). He is the One Who has come "through the tender mercy of our God" in order "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79) Are you walking in spiritual darkness today? Look to Jesus.
Through God's mercy, Jesus is the only One Who can deliver us from spiritual darkness.
My Response:
» Do I really know what it feels like to be lost and hopeless in spiritual darkness?
» Who is the only Savior able to deliver me from my sinfulness and give me peace?
» Am I trusting in Jesus and relying today on His guidance?