Searching for Light in Darkness

Growing up I was afraid of the dark. I forced my parents to leave the hall light on outside my bedroom so I could settle down and sleep. And if I ever woke up in the middle of the night my eyes would long for light. We lived on the corner of a busy street and when cars would drive past a rectangle of light would zoom around my room. So I would wait longingly for the next car to drive by so my eyes could follow the rectangle of light around my room. I always looked for the light.

Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
    and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
    and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10 ESV

But the darkness of life can cause us to fear, doubt. At some point we may stop looking for the light. Stop seeking God’s way in the midst of the dark. There we stumble around unsure of God’s grace, does He even care? But God, He wants us to see, to seek, to wait for Him.

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone. Isaiah 9:2 ESV

When Israel had almost given up hope. The Messiah was a pipe dream they thought. A light shone in the darkness of a Bethlehem manger. But those wise ones like Anna and Simeon who walked in the dark, but still trusted, still looked for the light; they saw it. Some looked for God’s light their whole lives, but only saw it from a far. These are the people God applauds, to whom He says, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

The sages and prophets, the disciples and revolutionaries, they are the ones up on the ramparts, up on the wall pointing to the dawn of the new Kingdom coming, pointing to the light that breaks through all things broken, pointing to redemption always rising and to the Blazing God who never sleeps. Ann Voskmap

So God blesses those looking for Him in the midst of the darkness. Those who point to the tiny light they see on the horizon or the beautiful sunburst they glimpse through the clouds. Those are the wise ones, the ones who dare a world to see even though they refuse to see the light and remain stubbornly comfortable with darkness.

Seeking the light requires us to stop looking at only our circumstance and to start telling our circumstances about our God. It is time to speak God’s light in the darkness, seek His light to shine in the unlikely places. We must tell others about His redemption, love, and justice. Only then do we see His Spirit moving, working, growing.

May we be seekers of God’s light coming. May we encourage others to do the same.

Father God I confess I often let the darkness of this world weigh me down. I often forget to lift my eyes to seek Your light, Your dawn, Your second coming. Forgive me for being overwhelmed by the darkness. In the power of Your Spirit help me to be like Anna and Simeon, hopeful, trusting You, seeking Your light. And as I seek for Your light may I speak about Your love, redemption, and justice. May Your Name be made great and Your kingdom expand as I seek Your light. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.