“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms, bloodstained by war, will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.”
Isaiah 9:2-5 NLT
Darkness and light. Opposites that are well known to human beings, used as we are to day and night. From the earliest times, mankind has found ways to illuminate a place of darkness, from a candle to a modern light bulb. Today, we think nothing of flicking a light switch to transform a dark room into a place where our eyes can discover all that we want to see. But in a totally dark place, and should no light source be available, a human being’s eyes cease to be of any use, as any blind person will testify.
In a spiritual sense, darkness and light have parallel meanings, and we must consider God as a light source that illuminates our darkness and brings into focus what we want to see. But that is where the similarities end. A physical perspective on light and dark is under a human being’s control. We can choose whether or not to flick a light switch or light a candle. But spiritually, we cannot switch God on and off at will to illuminate our situation. There is much more involved than that.
Jesus said, “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants” (John 3:19-21). The propensity of man to prefer sin and evil started in the Garden, and we read, “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too” (Genesis 3:5-6). We can rationalise our thoughts and actions, but only from the wrong perspective. Our selfish desire for personal control and the pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25) will always drive us in the wrong direction, time and time again.
But Jesus taught much about the light that reveals the sin and evil in people’s lives, because turning our backs on it is a fundamental requirement for eternity spent with God. There is no sin and evil in Heaven, and those who tried to introduce it there, the angel called satan and his followers, were cast out: “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels” (Revelation 12:7-9).
Jesus said to the people (and the Pharisees who were there with them), “… I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12). We know what the “life” is from an earlier verse in John – 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. Jesus was referring to the only life that really matters, eternal life. Life in His presence forever. But there is an alternative for those who prefer the darkness, and that is an eternity away from God’s light, in the company of those who were ejected from Heaven.
So people today have a choice between light and darkness. Many claim to walk in the light because they are “good” people who don’t do the things traditionally associated with sin and evil. They haven’t killed anyone or stolen anything, they avoid alcohol as a beverage, and don’t visit nightclubs. They don’t gamble or swear. But they miss the point that sin in its basic form is following their selfish desires and, in the process, rebelling against God and His ways. Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). We pilgrims decided to repent of our sins and turn to God, committing our lives to follow Him. And through Jesus, we have been cleansed of our sin and have found ourselves covered by His righteousness. We have a wonderful, loving and caring God who wants us to be with Him forever. We have “seen the light” and have shunned anything to do with darkness. And because of that, we are entrusted with illuminating the dark places with our witness and testimonies. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Genesis 1:3 we read, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”. Today, His word continues, but this time through His people, as we continue His creative work in the lives of those around us.
Dear Heavenly Father. In a land where the darkness seems to be increasing, we pray for the grace and boldness to shine even brighter so that our fellow citizens can discover how dark their lives really are. Please help us we pray and lead and guide us in Your ways. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 