HomeWord - February 12, 2015

Turn On the Light

This devotional was written by Robin Dugall

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. —1 John 1:5

An old parable tells the story of hungry man who lit a candle and sat down to eat a bowl of dates. The man took a bite of a date and saw a worm in it, so he threw the date away and selected another. He took a bite of another date, and it too, contained a worm. So, the man threw this date away as well. Concerned that all of the dates contained worms, the hungry man blew out the candle and quickly ate the rest of the dates. What is the meaning of the parable? People often choose to live in the darkness, in denial, rather than in the reality that light brings.

The Bible says that God is light. That’s a good thing! God is light in that He is holy and pure. As the book of James announces, He is the “Father of lights”…in whom there is no variation, darkness or shifting shadow.

Early on in the Biblical account, God separates light from darkness. He calls the light “good.” Throughout the Bible, darkness is not a good thing. On the cross, during the middle of the day, darkness encompassed the earth, demonstrating the bleakness of the power of sin that Jesus was conquering. Darkness is always a symbol of impurity, ignorance, being lost and evil. Now, that should be a clue to us about how we should live.

We are called by God to live in the light. We are to live in the light of Jesus, choosing to embrace truth, openness, forgiveness, courage and humility. Although we may try to hide from the exposure that God’s light brings to the darkness in our lives, it is light that brings healing. You know that there are areas of your life where God wants to shine.

Today, pray that you can live in His light. Don’t hide out in darkness! Let God turn on His light in and through you!

GOING DEEPER:

1. What are those areas in your life that are hiding in the dark? Where would God like to shine His light?

2. What can you do to live in His light today? How can you represent or shine His light in the circumstances and people in your life today?

FURTHER READING:

John 1:1-13; John 9:1-12; John 8:12; Ephesians 5:8-14