Darkness changes things.
It changes a beautiful woods into a scary scene.
It changes a promising sunny afternoon at the pool into a disappointing change of plans.
It changes a house into an obstacle course full of pinky toe-biting monsters.

Darkness changes things, perhaps most significantly is how it impacts our perception.

When night falls and dusk creeps over the landscape, uncertainty and fear can appear. It doesn’t seem to matter that we know is still the same place as it was in the full light of day… we might jump at sounds in the woods, become concerned about what could be hiding in the shadows, and even fearful of being alone.

darkness is not all powerful

Our eyes are so keen that scientists say we can perceive the glow of a single candle from miles away. What an amazing thing to ponder…. in miles of darkness… all that dark isn’t strong enough to stop us from seeing the glow from one.single.solitary.candle!!!!

we need the light

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:2

Oh, the world is a dark place; it almost feels like you could say it is filled with darkness. Yet that perception needs to face the truth of the power of light and the fleeting strength of darkness. Throughout the Old Testament we see the pervasive, destructive impact of the darkness sin brings to the world. But that isn’t the end of the story.

Darkness doesn’t win. Light always wins!

This is what God the Lord says—

the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,

who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,

who gives breath to its people,

and life to those who walk on it:

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

“I am the Lord; that is my name!

I will not yield my glory to another

or my praise to idols.

See, the former things have taken place,

and new things I declare;

before they spring into being

I announce them to you.”

Isaiah 42: 5-9

Even in the midst of such darkness, through the prophets, God reminds His people they are not abandoned, their future is not forever bleak, hope is coming, a Savior the Messiah is coming!

And we too need this message. We need to trust our spiritual sight when darkness closes in to see the light of Christ shining and to believe that, no matter how small that light may seem, it will not be overcome! We need to know that OUR light, even if it is just us standing alone, shining for Christ can be seen through the darkness.

Light changes things because Christ changes everything.

Scripture says of Christ, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

…the darkness has not overcome it

The awe and wonder of it all is that we have that Christ! He is the light and that overcome by darkness! No matter how “dark” the times are that we face, we can know that Jesus shines in that darkness… and the darkness has not overcome His light! What’s more: Christ has called us to be a light to our world, to shine like stars in a dark and broken world.

~Jillene