How do we live as light in a dark world that grows darker by the day? Because of the COVID restrictions in our area, I don’t enjoy going out anymore. I can’t see people’s faces because of their masks. I can’t understand them when they speak from a distance with voices muffled by masks. The added chemicals many use to disinfect their stores trigger breathing issues in me. I feel trapped in a B-rated thriller.
Riding home Saturday night with my husband after one such experience, the bright moon caught my attention. “Look how bright that small sliver of moon is,” I said.
The moon’s brightness stood in beautiful contrast to a day that had been gray, windy, and even briefly snowy. Seeing it helped me understand an admonition from Scripture that applies to the times in which we live.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
‘Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you’Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephes. 5:8-16 NIV).
God wants His children to live as children of light. He warns us to be very careful in how we walk, because the days are evil. Evil and darkness are synonymous in Scripture. As the lines between good and evil blur, we need the light of true goodness to guide our steps.
How Do We Shine?
How do we shine light in darkness? The same way the moon does.
When Astronauts Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin walked on the moon they didn’t transverse a glowing orb. Photos of the moon look like pocked concrete. Yet, who hasn’t felt the enchantment of a full moon? Even that small sliver of bright moon made me smile this weekend.
Craters and dark areas mar the moon’s surface. It’s beauty and light don’t come from the moon itself. The moon is beautiful when it reflects the sun.
Whether we deal with the darkness of an inner attitude, bad habit, or what is going on in our nation and the world, the way to see our way through darkness is to follow the Son, not stare at the darkness.
Focusing on a bad habit won’t make it go away. In, fact, it’ll probably make it worse. Fretting over the deception and evil around us won’t heal our nation. But focusing on Jesus—the way, the truth and the life—illuminates our paths and shines on those around us.
Everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”
Have you felt overwhelmed by the darkness of evil? I have. We become light when we allow the light of Jesus to illuminate us. Here are some tips to help you soak up the light.
We become light when we allow the light of Jesus to illuminate us. Here are some tips to help you soak up the light. #shine Share on XLet the Son Shine on You
- Ask the Holy Spirit to point out any area where you’ve allowed the world to shape your thinking instead of the Word.
- On a sheet of paper write down everything that comes to mind.
- Look up 1 John 1:9 and write that verse over it. Then tear up the sheet and throw it away.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and help you live wisely (Ephes. 5:17-21).
The darker the night the more we must keep our eyes glued on Jesus, the true light. Only then can we shine as light, walk wisely, and help others find their way.
Blessings,
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So beautiful and so practical. Thank you for sharing this, Debbie.
Thank you, Mariel!
Amen Ms. Debbie. Such an important reminder. Satan’s number one goal, since he knows he’s already been defeated, is to disrupt, sidetrack, and weaken our faith and the effectiveness of our testimony. He can’t do that if we’ll just remember to trim our wicks and keep the light on. 🙂 God’s blessings; and thank you for this timely and much-needed message.
Yes! Thank you, J.D.
“Ask the Holy Spirit to point out any area where you’ve allowed the world to shape your thinking instead of the Word.”
Oh yes. Thanks Debbie. I appreciate this so much. How we need NOT be absorbers of the world but of the Word.
Yes, always, but now more than ever. Thanks, Sylvia!
Thank you Debbie. Asking for illumination can be a hard exercise, but the outcome can be life-giving. Thank you for giving the practical ways to examine ourselves beyond inviting to do it.
Thank you, Marilyn!
A VERY relevant post for this particular day and time in our nation and the world.
Oh Ann, it is easy to focus on the darkness. I need to remember to soak up the Light.
Love this Debbie! I pray I will shine His light every day. 🙂
Me too, Melissa! May we shine His light.
Powerful post, Debbie. We do need to soak in His Sonlight in order to reflect Him to the World.
And it is so much more encouraging than staring at the darkness! Thanks, Jeanne!
On a dark night, the moon is bright enough to light our path so that we don’t stumble in the dark. And, we know how bright the sun/Son is in our daylight. The Light banishes the darkness, but we must put ourselves in contact with the Light so that we are illuminated by it. If we hide in the darkness and refuse to seek our Lord’s Light, the darkness surrounds us and holds us captive. Thank you for sharing this inspiring message, Debbie.
Thank you, Katherine. I love how you expressed these truths.
Because Jesus is the Light of the world, we will always have hope in darkness. Even a pinhole of light will lead us out of a pit. The moon is a great illustration of reflecting light. Because it has no light of it’s own but reflects what it absorbs from the sun, that shows us how we must absorb Christ’s light to be able to shine in a dark world.
Barbara, I love picturing that pinhole. You are right, it is enough to guide us. Thanks so much!
Thank you for this encouraging word, Debbie! I appreciated, “Whether we deal with the darkness of an inner attitude, bad habit, or what is going on in our nation and the world, the way to see our way through darkness is to follow the Son, not stare at the darkness.”
Thank you, Lisa. It’s easy to stare at the darkness and become overwhelmed. Jesus is still the Light of the world!
Debbie, this is such a timely post. And this here: “the way to see our way through darkness is to follow the Son, not stare at the darkness.” yes and amen. It’s so easy to focus on the wrong things—the darkness, the bad habits, all that’s “wrong” in the world—when we really need to be fixing our eyes and hearts on Jesus. Thank you for this reminder.
Jeanne, thank you. We need to encourage each other during this time.