Keepers of the Light

 

    

    

    

    

    

Isa 9:2

 

2 The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a light has shined.

NKJV

 

Darkness.  It is the pervasive theme in our society.  It is found in movies, literature, toys and TV shows.  Our culture is obsessed with darkness.  Dark forces; dark, twisted serial killers; garbled voices and shadowy spirits, it is the bread and butter of our entertainment industry. 

 

This passage of Scripture refers to a people walking in darkness.  Is there a generation that this is more true of than our own? But thank the Lord, the story does not end in foreboding darkness, but  rather we see the darkness as a backdrop to showcase the brilliant Light that has come.

 

When Jesus was born, the Father chose to herald His birth with a star, a new light source, hanging in the heavens for all to see. Jesus  was the light that was so desperately needed in His day, and He continues to be the origin of all light today.  Without Him, our life is cloaked in  darkness.

 

This time of year, I so enjoy watching the Christmas lights twinkling on the trees, on the houses, and businesses in town.  People drive quite a distance to look at a beautiful display of lights.  We are intrigued by the luminosity and we gain hope from it.

 

No matter how dark your life has been, Jesus is  shining His light into your darkness.  Drugs?  Alcohol? Promiscuity?  Witchcraft?  None is so dark that He cannot penetrate it and shed His glorious light into the situation.  Even if you are "dwelling in the land of the shadow of death" the light shines brightly above you, beckoning you to draw near and allow Him to push back your darkness.

 

Jesus, indeed, is the Light of the World.  But we, as believers, are the body of Christ.  We are still on Earth and there is still a lot of shining to do.  The pervasive darkness is stifling, but we cannot allow it to snuff out our light.  We have to abstain from darkness in all that we do in order to preserve the pure light of His presence.  A Christian cannot engage in role playing games of darkness; evil videos games; demonic movies and pornography of any sort.  What fellowship does light have with darkness?  We  cannot compromise our heart, our testimony, our spirit or our world.  He is light, and we must be keepers of the light.

 
Dear Lord, you see the darkness that has fallen on the Earth. Help me to shield my heart from any dark influence.  Saturate me, Lord, with the light of your presence.  Reflect Your brilliance in me.  In Name.  Amen.