Light Shines in the Darkness

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“Light shines through the darkness for the upright; He [God] is gracious and merciful and just.”  Psalm 112:1-6

Today’s Holy Scripture tells us, “Light shines through darkness for the upright.” That is, there is light shining in the darkness for those who seek God and follow His commandments. Darkness will never be able to overcome the Light of Jesus. For Christians who place their trust and hope squarely in Jesus, the Savior of the world who is God, this is, indeed, very, very good news. It means that light melts away darkness, leaving us reaching for Jesus who is, ‘The Light of the World.’ As we leave darkness behind and return to Jesus God’s mercy and grace, we have new life in Christ as children of the light. We need to be the light and bring the Light of Jesus wherever we go, the light that shines in the darkness.

In the spiritual sense, darkness can color our perceptions, and derail us from God’s ways. Darkness has the capacity to make us see things through a selfish, distorted world view, not in keeping with our Christian faith. This may leave us unable discern or to care about what is right and wrong in God’s eyes. Biblically, darkness is a metaphor for temptation and sin, detachment from Jesus. During times when we turn away, or even run away from God and His truths, and His divine plan for our good, we are like a ship hopelessly lost at sea with no protection from the storms we encounter. But here is great news for us all: God Our Creator, Our Father, is kind, merciful, and compassionate. Over and again He calls us back onto the path He has laid out before us, the purpose and calling he has planned uniquely for us.

Jesus Is Kind & Merciful

No matter how lost you may be or feel, Jesus stands ready to welcome you back onto His well-lit road that leads right to His door. There is no sin you can possibly ever commit that God cannot and will not forgive for the asking. He sees all and forgives all; and He stands in wait for our return—even when we pray and ask Him for the very first time! Figuratively speaking, Jesus always leaves the porch light on, and stands ready and eager to bless you with his presence, comfort, guidance, healing, protection, and salvation. His Divine Mercy is far reaching and everlasting—and it is uniquely there for you and me when we pray and ask Him to forgive our failings.

I think the Divine Mercy Prayer says it best:

Divine Mercy Prayer

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell; and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy. For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory. Now and forever. Amen!

Many times, as the perils of life befall us, and we watch things unfold, dark times may present themselves to us through no fault of our own. However, at other times, we experience darkness as a direct result of poor or sinful decisions we have made. Our words and deeds have the power to lead us off of the narrow path that God has set before us. These times are generally the result of conscious choices we make that cause us to deviate from doing the will of God.

We all know the pain of disappointment, failure, abandonment, the heartbreak of losing a loved one, and/or what it feels like to have a health setback in our lives. We all know the pain that may be experienced when life becomes unpredictable and things seem to go awry instead of according to the plans we have set forth. However, as Christians, it is important to understand that the Lord has us covered whenever we walk in His Light. He’s got our back!

God’s Light is for All People

God’s love is unconditional and for all people. But we need to seek Him out. When we seek Jesus and reconcile with Him, we are covered by His grace as we strive to adhere more closely to His perfect plans for us and our lives. He expects us to fall at times, yet He is there to help us up and dust us off. When we ramble through these periods of darkness in our lives, then have a change of heart and decide to trust and believe that God is kind and merciful and ever present to us, we are then open to the abundant gifts God generously provides for those who believe.

Yes, Jesus is the Light of the World, in Him there is no darkness at all. With Jesus, who defeated darkness and sin once and for all on the cross, darkness fades and loses its sting when we seek God through heartfelt prayers. By so doing, we are naturally steeped in gratitude, and transported to a place of unsurpassed peace and joy in Jesus. It is then that we can celebrate God’s saving power, both here on earth and into eternal life.

Adele M. Gill   |   2015 Copyright  |  The Inspiration Café Blog

About the Author

Adele M. Gill is a retired RN, certified Chaplain, freelance writer, award winning author of 6 books, and a recipient of the International Positive Change Podcast Award https://theinspirationcafeblog.net. She is also the founder/author of The Inspiration Café Blog. Adele may be reached via email at: gilladelem@gmail.com.