December 3 - The Light of the World

"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" (Isaiah 9:2 NKJV)

Before Jesus came, the world was in spiritual darkness. People were trying to find their way to God through their own efforts, but they kept stumbling. Then Jesus came as the Light of the world.

I think of being at the beach, walking or jogging early in the morning when it's still dark, then daybreak comes, and you see the light. It doesn't fade in - it bursts through the darkness. In the same way, the angels burst through that darkness to announce Jesus' birth, and God does that same work in our lives.

We sometimes will say, "God, show Yourself to me." We may complain, "Why doesn't He just make Himself visible to me?" And His answer to that is, "I did." Jesus came, and He showed Who God is and what He is like. Jesus is God's way of speaking our language to us.

I often feel the limitations of all of our methods of interacting - from calling on the phone, texting, emailing, or even video conferencing - because I can easily be misunderstood. But when I am sitting down with someone face-to-face, I feel all of those limitations are gone. I can be clearly understood.

We needed God to clearly communicate with us, and He met our greatest need not by calling on the phone, not by texting, and not by video chatting. He came right to planet Earth and spoke our language.

Reflection Question: What areas of darkness in your life need the light of Christ right now?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be the light of the world. Shine Your light into the dark areas of my heart and life. Help me walk in Your light and reflect that light to others who are still in darkness. In Jesus' Name, amen.