Last summer I found myself waking up twice to complete and utter darkness. The ceiling fan had stopped turning, the electric clock was blank, and the light switches were utterly useless. We were without power!
It’s quite fun to try to find your way in utter darkness. Mysteriously bumps and scratches appear on your legs and your arms, and especially your head! Ouch!!! I cautiously climbed down the stairs, trying to locate the phone number for the power company. It didn’t do much good to go through my files in the dark, however. They all looked the same! I needed light!
So what was I to do?
I decided to call the operator and see if she could connect me with the power company. After all, someone had to inform them of the loss of power in our dark neighborhood. Feeling around carefully, I managed to find a phone. I put it to my ear and clicked the “on” button. No dial tone! The phone didn’t work either! How could it be? I then realized that wireless phones are completely useless in power outages! I would have to connect our only non-wireless telephone. But where was it?
As my hands rummaged through the stuff on the countertop, I couldn’t help but wonder where all the clutter had come from. I didn’t remember the countertop being covered with so many things! Then, suddenly, I was surrounded by light. Blessed light! And there was that illusive phone, just in front of me. My wife had brought out our battery-powdered lantern. Her light was just what I needed to make the call to the power company.
These experiences this summer made me remember another time when I used to live in darkness. It wasn’t a short-term darkness, however. It was most definitely a chronic problem! You see, I used to live in spiritual darkness. I was in a hopeless state. I couldn’t find my way around, and death was the only certainty in my life. Jesus changed all of that, however. His light shone into my darkness, illuminating my path and showing me the way out of that mess! “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matt 4:16 NIV)
This is what Christmas is all about, friends! Jesus didn’t just bring the light. He IS the light, brightly illuminating our way to eternity! “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV); and “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 12:46 NIV) Jesus didn’t just bring hope. He brought the way to salvation!
Sadly, the world celebrates Christmas with gifts, food and candy, and there is little if any acknowledgement given to the One who is the Reason for the Season. But is this new? Not at all: “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:5 NIV) and “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19 NIV)
With all of the millions of Christmas bulbs shining out so brightly, people still prefer to live in spiritual darkness. Our role as a Christian is not to give up, but to reflect Jesus’ light. One deeply in love cannot be brought to silence; neither can a Christian stop reflecting Jesus’ light. Let’s celebrate brightly this season! “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matt 5:14 NIV)
Who during this season will you light up with your light?
P. S. To be a light, you need to be plucked into the source: “I am the vine; you are the branches . If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NIV)
P. S. S. Where did I put my battery-powdered lantern? No wonder it’s dark out here!
Rob Chaffart
(To access the entire “Christmas — Rebirth!” devotional series, please click here.)