Utter Darkness

Jesus 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)

We have just passed the longest night here in the UK on December 21, when the days start getting longer again.  At the South Pole the sun goes down in mid-May and doesn’t come up again until late July.  There is no daytime—no sunlight—for more than two months. Not many of us have ever experienced this time of utter darkness, but the explorers who have endured it confess that there is no desolation harder to bear than the polar night. You are isolated; in such deep darkness you can’t even see a hand in front of your face! For all of us who have never been there, such darkness is very hard to understand.

But there is also a spiritual darkness! The Bible tells us that God is Light, Life and Love, and if our lives revolve around him we are in the Light: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” (1 John 1:5-7).

Apart from the amazing intervention of our God, we are all in that darkness, but thankfully Jesus came as the Light of the world to reveal the Father and his love for us all. Speaking of Jesus, John tells us; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:1-5). The sad part of this declaration by the apostle John, is that some have not understood that this amazing Light, Jesus, is the one who takes away our spiritual darkness! If we live in him we live in the light and will never experience spiritual darkness but will instead become the “children of light!” Notice 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (MSG), “You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand.” It’s so good to know where we stand, where we are, instead of groping blindly in the darkness! Come join us.

Prayer
Lord, thank you for your light that ensures that we don’t stumble around in darkness but can confidently put our feet in your footprints as we walk with you.
Amen

Study by Cliff Neill

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About the Author:
Cliff Neill is an Elder in Grace Communion Church Luton.

Local  Congregation:
Grace Communion Church Luton
Farley Hill Methodist Church
North Drift Way
Farley Hill
LUTON
LU1 5JE

Meeting time:
Saturday 10:30am

Local Congregational Contact:
Harry Sullivan
Phone:  01908-582222
Email: harry_sullivan@wcg.org.uk