Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

I was a child who was desperately afraid of the dark. But, I didn’t want anyone to know. Many times, my mother would send me down our little row of houses to get a cup of flour or sugar or some other missing ingredient from one of my aunts or my grandmother who lived all in a line near our house. At night it was very dark out in the country where we lived. I can remember the feelings so vividly. Each time, starting out the walk confidently, but ending up in a frantic sprint trying to get to my grandmother’s porch light before some unknown danger captured me in the darkness. I would sit and chat with my grandparents while I caught my breath before heading back out into the darkness to walk home.

Those porch lights were tiny beacons of safety and relief, but at times they seemed so very far away. And as I ran toward them, the darkness seemed to almost completely overwhelm me. The fears and terrors of the night loomed large in my young imagination. The thing was, it didn’t take long sitting in the light and comfort of my grandmother’s house (maybe having a cookie and some milk) until those fears were forgotten and I was ready to head back out into the darkness. As I spent a little time in the light, getting some hugs from my grandparents, and my courage returned.

This world is not our home, we aren’t supposed to feel comfortable here. Satan continually tempts and tries our faith with fears and darkness. The only way to fight against him is to soak ourselves in the presence of our Lord. When the darkness of the world seems to be closing in all around us, we, who know Jesus, have a beacon of light to run toward. There have been times when I have resorted to sprinting toward my Lord with that same desperation that I felt as a young child running toward my grandmother’s porch light. And, when I get there, the comfort and confidence that spending time with Jesus brings, always gives me strength to step back out into this foreign land in which I find myself. He provides that comfort and peace or everyone who knows Him as their Lord. When we lean into Him, He is faithful to bless our lives with His provisions.

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

While, we as those who are recipients of His grace have His light dwelling inside of us in the form of His Holy Spirit, stepping into His light through spending time with Him should be something we do frequently. We, as saved sons and daughters of the King, are children of light, and our lives should reflect that light into the darkness of the world. When we learn to know Him better, through His word, prayer, and worship, we can both fight off the darkness ourselves and be a better beacon to those around us who still cower in the darkness of this world. It’s our responsibility as Christians to live in a way that will show them what it looks like to serve the King!

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8

Beloved, we’re supposed to be different, to stand out, to be set aside for service to our Lord! If the world looks at you and sees you as one of their own, what does that say about your relationship with the Lord? If we have come out of darkness and entered into a relationship with our Lord, our lives should reflect it. We should live a life that the world hardly recognizes. We should be running toward time with our Lord, seeking the Light every day with our whole heart. Desiring to know more, love more, worship more… and to become a bright light pointing the rest of the world to our Lord.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Is your life a beacon leading people out of darkness and toward the marvelous light of Jesus? Or is your light dimmed by the darkness the pervades this world? Have you stepped away from the light for so long that your life is but a flicker of the hope that lies within you? Our Lord longs to restore you, to feed your tiny flame into a burning fire that shines for all to see! All He wants is for you to come to Him: to learn about Him through His word; to spend time in prayer with Him, both pouring our your sorrows and your praise and listening for His still small voice; and to worship Him openly and fully. He is worth of all of our praise, and when we forget that, we’re missing out on a blessing beyond anything we can understand.

For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28

I have some of the newer LED flashlights that are rechargeable. Their light is so much brighter than older flashlights with bulbs. However, if I forget to plug them in occasionally, they are dim and useless. As Christians, we have to spend time plugging into our Lord if we want to shine bright for Him! Take time today to seek the light that comes only from Him. Recharge your battery with the source of all light and goodness.