The Light We Need

I do not like complete darkness when I sleep. Just the thought makes me anxious.  My in-law’s have a beautiful home in the South of France. The “villa” is situated on a hilltop, away from city lights and street lights. At night, when the house is shuttered and the curtains are drawn it is pitch black. Very, very pitch black. You can’t see your finger if you hold it a quarter inch from your face.  The first night I ever stayed there I made my husband leave the hallway light on. The next day we bought a night light. His family was a bit dismayed, especially my young niece and nephew, that a woman in her 20’s would need a night light.  It is frightening to me to be in complete darkness, feeling certain there is something evil lurking over me with no way to escape.  It makes my heart pound. But with a bit of light I know where I am and feel safer.

John 8:12 tells us Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness”. What does Jesus mean when He says He is the light of the world? I believe He is telling us that He is our savior, the one who can lead us from sin (darkness) into forgiveness (light). As the light He shows us how to live and He guides us on a path leading to our Heavenly Father.  I don’t know about you, but I would much rather live in lightness than darkness, with Jesus leading the way! Jesus also  tells us that He is the light of those who follow him. So, how do we follow Jesus? We do so by inviting Him into our lives through prayer, reading the Bible, studying His word, striving to live our best lives by loving and forgiving others, fellowshipping with other believers and worshipping God.  I’m sure If you are a new believer that seems like a lot. Take it one step at a time. I promise, once you ask Jesus into your life you will be filled with a joy that will make you want to do everything else!

Sometimes people get caught up on the word “never” in this verse. After all, it says whoever follows Jesus will never walk in darkness, right? It would be so cool if we never fell victim to sin again! The fact is, God gave us Jesus to show us the way we should live BUT He also gave us free will and a bit of rebelliousness, too! Jesus may be the road map, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be tempted to veer off the path, which can lead to us getting totally, completely lost. The great thing is, if that happens, Jesus will be standing on the path, allowing His light to illuminate it and lead us back. Then we march forward following Him again (until the next time we decide to take a detour!).

I know that I definitely need Jesus to be the Light of my world. I have tried too many times to walk alone. I have gotten lost and tried to find my own way, only to find myself going in circles. When I was 19 years old I was really struggling.  I was partying way too much and making bad decisions.  I was disgusted with myself and felt so alone and lost but didn’t know how to turn my life around.  I thought the best thing to do was start over by leaving Massachusetts. I moved to Florida and got a job in a hotel and made some new friends. But the parties were bigger and better and I continued to make bad decisions. So what did I do? I moved to Virginia for another new start. But of course, the only thing that changed was the location. I was still involved in the same bad habits, making the same mistakes and the guilt was really adding up. I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me! Why did I keep screwing up? Friend, I really wish I had invited Jesus into my life back then to show me the way. But I am so grateful that He was waiting for me when I finally did.  God knows life isn’t going to be easy. He knows we are going to make mistakes and suffer. But he gave us Jesus. Jesus will light the way for us.  Please, if you are suffering with guilt and shame of past sins let me introduce you to Jesus. There is a life of grace, love and forgiveness just waiting for you.

There is a great hymn that I have had stuck inside my head all week. Its called Thy Word Is A Lamp Unto My Feet by Michael Whitaker Smith and Amy Grant. It’s actually based on Psalm 119:105-112, but I love how it fits the verse we are talking about today, too. Part of the song goes “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. When I feel afraid and I think I’ve lost my way, still You’re there right beside me. Nothing will I fear as long as You are near. Please be near me to the end.”  We need the light of Jesus, don’t we?

For this coming week’s verse I’ve chose one on forgiveness. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us,” Psalms 103:12. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you next Sunday!

Love, Melissa