“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” – Isaiah 60:19
When I visited San Francisco, I took a tour of the island prison, Alcatraz. One of the areas we visited was the solitary confinement cells. The guide asked if anyone wanted to go in one, and she would then close the door, and we could experience what inmates felt when imprisoned there. Several of us when inside, and when the door shut, there was complete darkness. I put my hand in front of my face and I could not even see the outline of my fingers even though my hand was no more than three inches from my face!
Another time I visited a huge cavern, and once inside the tour guide told us she was going to turn off the dim lights so we could experience the darkness of the cave. Again, when the lights went out, I could see nothing at all. I put my hand up again, and it was Alcatraz all over again! There was absolute blackness all around me. It was pretty unsettling even when I knew she would turn the lights back on in a moment! When the guide turned on her small flashlight, the blackness was immediately gone! I could see again! It was as if the darkness had fled in the presence of the light!
In my mind’s eye, that is the exact same blackness that sin creates in our world. We are surrounded by shadows so deep, they can only be perceived in the spiritual realm. This darkness is not only frightening, but it leads to eternal death, forever separated from God.
There is only one way to make the blackness of sin disappear. Like in the cave, there must be a light to dispel the gloom. The only way to overcome sin’s darkness is with the glorious gospel light, and that light is the Lord Jesus Christ! The Bible records the words of our Saviour when He proclaimed, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Once we have asked Jesus to forgive our sins and accept Him as our Saviour, His light shines within us, and sin’s darkness is no longer our captor! When the light of Jesus appears, sin’s ominous presence must flee! The illumination of God’s Word by the Holy Spirit gives us the strength and guidance we need to live victoriously for Him!
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in;
The Light of the world is Jesus!
No darkness have we who in Jesus abide;
The Light of the world is Jesus!
We walk in the light when we follow our Guide!
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus!
(from “The Light of the World is Jesus” by Philip Bliss)
“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” – Isaiah 60:19
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Is His light shining in your life?