Light Is Always Brighter the Darker It Gets

A friend of mine likes to hike the hills near his home in the wee hours of the morning. Obviously in the darkness it’s hard to see and be seen, so he wears a headlamp to light the way and alert people nearby of his presence. When he encounters others on the hill, they are usually doing the same.

 

He observed that in daylight, his little lamp is hardly noticeable, but at night or before sunrise, it shines almost like a beacon. Reminds me of the longtime favorite children’s song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine….”

 

It’s interesting that “light” is one of the metaphors Jesus used to describe His disciples. After stating that they are “the salt of the earth,” He added, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:13-15).

 

But Jesus’ most significant point came in the verse that follows this description: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

Why is this important? Because one of the things our society – and the world – need these days is light. Not the kind of light we get from the rising sun or a switched-on lamp, but light that serves to dispel the darkness that seems to be closing in around us.

 

For more than two years, every aspect of our lives has been darkened by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t turn on the news or read a newspaper without being bombarded by reports about acts of violence in its many forms. I’ve lived a long time and can’t remember a time when the levels of hatred and animosity between segments of society were higher.

 

But in the midst of all the bad news that seems to be getting worse, there’s hope. Like my friend’s small headlamp that glows brightly in the blackness as he hikes, we as Christ followers have the great privilege and opportunity to shine the light of His truth in our darkening world. And it may be that the Lord is allowing this darkness to deepen so that His light can shine more brightly.

 

As His earthly ministry was drawing to a close, Jesus told His followers, “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 have it, so that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36).

 

Our challenge is to walk as closely to the Lord as we can and strive to live in such a way that we don’t dim the light of Christ that shines through us. As Jesus exhorted those following Him, “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you” (Luke 11:35-36).

 

The apostle Paul expressed it this way: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). If we’ve been born again into the family of God, He not only desires for His light to shine within us but also to radiate through us into the world here we live and work every day.

 

It’s easy to lose heart as we observe the evil lurking all around us, wondering where God is in the midst of everything that’s going on. But the people of Israel faced similar problems, largely brought on by their determination to disobey what the Lord had taught them and disregard all He had done for them. But the prophet Isaiah offered assurance that despite the depths of His people’s sin, God’s love, grace and mercy would prevail in the last days. 

 

He said, “The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted” (Isaiah 30:26).

 

The prophet later also conveyed this promise: “No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory” (Isaiah 60:18-19). 

In His Word, God promises that brighter days are ahead. In the meantime, it’s our responsibility to serve Him as “the light of the world,” shining in such a way that people can see Him through our actions as well as our words.