THE WORD 4 ev 1

John 12:35-36a - Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” …

At the end of our block is an electric company substation. My first thought was that all those metal boxes, towers and wires were a lightning rod for every passing storm, but in time I realized that our neighborhood loses power even when the weather just threatens and becomes overcast. We’ve lived here 20 years, and I’m still not convinced the substation does not have something to do with our frequent outages.

Whatever the case, we’ve learned to keep light sources handy—battery operated lights, crank lights, kerosene lamps, even some propane camping lights—except for that first night, that is. Yep, the day we moved in a terrible storm hit, and with tornado warnings up, Diane ordered us all to the basement. Do you have any idea what it is like to spend your first night in your new home, a totally unfamiliar place, in complete darkness?

As we draw closer to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, He is speaking about Himself as the light. In another place, John records Jesus as saying, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5b). Jesus goes by many names, each of which describes an important role He plays in our lives.

The life without Jesus is even more lost than being in the basement of a strange house without electricity in the middle of the night. “Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light” (John 12:36a).

THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, You are the Light of the world. Thank You for bringing safety and comfort to me in a world that is dark with sin. Amen