The Relief of Light

Christine Olding

Imagine a home with dinner on a long wooden table, benches on either side, and candles illuminating the food and the faces of people sitting around. Guests come to the door holding lamps to light their way. Shadows dance on the walls and over people’s faces. Rooms darkened by the evening lead further off the main room into blacked-out bedrooms. And windows open to the night reveal an inky sky with only the occasional lamp of a passing traveller or nearby home to break its darkness.

When you read this, what emotions stir within you? For me, it is both a fear of the darkness and a love of candlelight and coziness. But any discomfort I feel about the darkness is offset by the knowledge that I can turn on a light and cause the shadows to disappear so I can see where I am walking again. Praise God for electricity!

But for the people living during the time of Jesus, darkness was a daily inevitability. Sunset was simply the announcement of oncoming darkness that could not be broken by the streetlamps or well-lit households we are used to. The luxury of preparing a meal in a bright kitchen was unheard of after sunset. Darkness came every evening, with all it brought with it — thieves, attacks and worse. You could use a lantern while walking to a neighbour’s home at night, but you could not see past the light that your lamp cast for your feet.

Do we, in the Western world today, comprehend the relief of a sunrise? Do we understand the lifestyle of being led by only a lantern at night — not just during a camping trip, but every day of our lives? Where darkness invites unknown and very real danger and where no one can control the routine disappearance of light with every sunset? Sunrise was, and still is in some countries, a daily relief because with it comes safety.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105

Confused by the world? I understand! Uncertain of what direction to go? I have been there countless times, my friend. Feeling overwhelmed by too many unknowns in your life right now? I can relate. Unsure of what decision to make? There is hope!

It is not accidental that Jesus repeatedly refers to His presence as light. The early church culture had to rely on weak, man-made light to dispel their daily darkness. Darkness and the unknown were familiar and predictable. It was all they had, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. When Jesus came, He changed all that. He said He was the light. No need to manufacture self-revelation or rely on self-achieved knowledge or wisdom to solve problems on our own.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” 
John 8:12

We do not need to walk alone anymore, relying on our incomplete selves to figure life out. It is not a life of “you're on your own because no one else will do it for you.” Jesus offers to do life with us every step of the way.

David said it well:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1

Sadly, dear ones, it is not our wisdom or education that dispels our darkness. I know some may disagree with that. Let's face it — we can have pretty high opinions of our own intellect. But God says true wisdom is a gift from Him.
 
So whether you know Jesus or not (it does not matter. We all need this) ...

Ask God for help.

Ask Him for wisdom.

Invite Jesus to take control (again, if need be), giving Him everything in your life and heart one more time, or as a brand new decision. He is just waiting to be invited in!

And enjoy His light in your darkness, my friend. The relief of His friendship is palpable.
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“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:4–5
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Blessings,
Christine​