A few weeks ago, my husband and I were watching something mindless on television when suddenly all the electricity went off. It was an area-wide outage; we went outside to see that there was no light anywhere we looked. As we live on a hill in Bonsall, we can usually see all the way to the ocean to the west and Palomar Mountain to the east. There was not a smidgen of light anywhere. It was DARK, enveloping darkness and I don’t remember there being any moonlight that night either. So glad for flashlights, lanterns, candles, and the light on our phones. It stayed that way for several hours and we hovered near our light sources. Eventually, the electricity came back on! The relief we felt was tangible when we were in the light again.
Through the past weeks’ study of John’s gospel, Jesus is presented over and over as the light; Jesus refers to Himself as light. In John 12:35-36 Jesus says, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you still have it…” Jesus was referring to His imminent death and the loss of His physical presence. Then in verse 46, this was so important He actually raised his voice saying, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.” Recently, I watched a video of the testimony of a former Hezbollah terrorist who came to Christ while praying. He said, “A man appears in front of me normal size but he shines like light but it is not a normal light. It carried identity, he was holy and just. Instantaneously, I knew I was not holy or just. I cried out “Forgive me”. He touched my shoulder and I knew I was forgiven. But who was this who forgives me? He said, “I am Jesus Christ.” He came from darkness into light and walks in the light of Jesus today leading a ministry of peace in the Middle East.
We who have been brought out of that darkness through trusting in the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ are commanded to walk in that light. What does that look like? If we spend some dedicated time reading through Ephesians 4:27-5:21, we discover what this command means. Consider getting some paper and your Bible, prayerfully read through this passage of scripture, and write down what God speaks to you about regarding your walk in the Light.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8
Francie Overstreet