Light of the World
By Whitney Hopler
“’When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘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)
During the darkness of the night, I woke up and tried to go back to sleep. But I couldn’t relax. I kept thinking about a medical test a family member planned to do that day. The results could reveal a serious health issue. In my dark bedroom, I tossed and turned. The surrounding darkness felt heavy, like the dark worries in my mind. Finally, I turned my worries into prayers, received peace from God, and eased back to sleep.
When I woke up again, sunlight streamed into the room. Then flashes of color outside my window caught my attention. I gazed out at the sky as nature revealed wonder from God through a sunrise. Purple, pink, and orange splashed across the sky as the golden sun rose higher on the eastern horizon. Everything I saw out the window was immersed in a golden glow from the sunlight. The sun had dispelled the darkness in such glorious ways that I felt a rush of excitement about the new day. No matter what type of health news our family received day, I knew we could trust God to dispel the darkness of worry and shine the light of hope into our lives.
Jesus is the light of the world. Just as the sun brings physical light into our lives, Jesus brings spiritual light into our lives. Jesus shines the light of hope into the darkness of our fallen world. As the world's Savior, Jesus provides hope stronger than any distressing circumstances in our world. Light is always stronger than darkness. We can see that physical principle at work simply by turning on a flashlight or lighting a candle in a dark room. The light will be visible in the darkness, even if there’s just a small amount of light in a great amount of darkness. Physically, the photons in light can dispel darkness, but darkness cannot dispel light. Spiritually, Jesus can empower us to overcome any type of dark situation. His power is greater than anything. John 1:5 says:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” NIV
The light we have in Jesus will always overcome darkness. We don’t need to be afraid of the darkness around us, because God’s light will empower us to break free of fear. Ephesians 1:18-19 uses light imagery when describing the hope Jesus offers:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” NIV
No matter how dark your circumstances are, Jesus can change them for good by shining his light of hope into your life. What darkness are you facing today? Maybe a health issue is casting a dark shadow over your life. Perhaps a broken relationship is leading you to dark feelings. It could be that stress from your job is darkening your day-to-day life. Or maybe there’s a sin in your life darkening your soul with shame. Whatever dark situation you’re dealing with, bring it into the light by bringing it to Jesus in prayer. Talk with Jesus about the darkness and ask him to dispel that darkness with his light. Jesus will answer your prayer, intervening in the situation according to what’s best – and renewing your sense of hope in the process. Trusting Jesus as the Light of the World will inspire you with awe and move you to worship as you experience the wonder of his light shining through your life. 2 Corinthians 4:6 describes how God makes his light shine in our lives:
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” NIV
It’s God who enlightens us through our relationships with him, so we can know and experience his power in all situations.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
As you reflect on Jesus as the Light of the World, consider these questions: What dark situations are you dealing with right now? How can you ask Jesus to shine his light of hope into each of these situations? How can you plan to incorporate light into your prayer times? Would you like to light a candle when you pray, or pray outside while watching a sunrise or sunset?
Further Reading:
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Phil Thep
Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com, on Facebook, and on X/Twitter.
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