Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness, a light has dawned.
John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes me should stay in darkness.
It was a dark and stormy night . . . to quote the immortal words of Snoopy.
I have just finished reading a blog about the importance of slowing life's pace, and am smack-dab in the middle of leaving a comment. Danny is watching a show on Netflix where a crucial part of the plot is the power alarmingly going off the grid.
As if on cue, our own lights go out!!! We are plunged into darkness as the rain continues to relentlessly pummel our deck, our skylights, and the sides of our house. It takes a few seconds for our eyes to adjust to the gloom before we dare make a move for the flashlights stored in our bedroom. Once these are in hand, Danny goes downstairs to our laundry room to fetch our battery-powered camping lantern. What a life saver that is!
Immediately, life is slowed. To a crawl. No lights. No television. No computers. No air-conditioning. And all that food in the fridge? Well, if the power isn't restored in a reasonable amount of time, we can chalk the contents up as a loss.
And there's the rub - we have no idea how long it will take for the electricity to be up and running. As we prepare for bed, I find myself thanking God that we even have power to lose. So many people living in the world have no knowledge of such a luxury. And too many of us who use electricity daily take it for granted.
I am deep in sleep when I sense a change in our room. My eyes fly open only to blink fiercely as brilliant light pours over me. The power is back on! And because it was off when we went to bed, it didn't dawn on us to turn of the lights before turning in. I'm groggy as I fumble for the light switches and stumble back to bed in the shadowy room. But I can rest assured - the light is with us. We do not have to remain in darkness.
~
In the midst of our dark and stormy nights, those tempest-tossed times when we've all but lost sight of safety's shore, let us call upon Jesus to light our way. He will go before us, shining His unquenchable, eternal light to guide us. To comfort us. To give us peace.
And we can rejoice! For we no longer live in the land of deep darkness. Upon us, Jesus' light has dawned!
Alleluia and amen!
There will always be light at the end of every tunnel, calm after each storm, victory after all the defeat. Such a wonderful and heartwarming post, nice of you to share!
ReplyDeleteYes, always the victory, Blogoratti! Nothing can quench the light of Jesus.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Until recently, my wife would get up in the dark and grope her way to the bath or kitchen... with her eyes closed. As a child she was afraid of the dark. She will still take a few steps before opening her eyes in the night. I wonder how many carry their childhood fears and disappointments into their adult years. Thank you, Lord, for the light you shine into our hearts, the confidence you give us. You light the way. You open our eyes not matter how dark the path.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Martha.
Yes, Ed, I wonder, too, how many of us carry those childhood fears into adulthood. Every nightmare I had as a child involved a tornado (saw Wizard of Oz too young!) and I continued to have those disturbing dreams well into my adult years. For whatever reason, they stopped about 15 years ago. So tell Sandylee I feel for her!
DeleteSo thankful, too, for the light of Jesus! Where would we be without it?
Love and blessings!
I love all the verses about light. Another favorite is Psalm 139:12-- even the darkness is not dark to you;
ReplyDeletethe night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
Oh, Galen, thanks so much for sharing this Scripture here today. It fits perfectly, doesn't it?
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha,
ReplyDelete"Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon us you." Isaiah 60:1
I'm so grateful for our Savior's light!
You are always so good with taking everyday situations and turning them into lessons.
Thanks for your kind words, Beckie, and for sharing this most appropriate Scripture from Isaiah. You know, I'm beginning to wonder how many times the word "light" appears in the Bible. That's something to look up!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, good idea!
DeleteThe Light has shined on us so that we may shine into the darkness many others remain in. Let your light so shine...
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts, my friend!
Yes, Paul, may we all let the light of Christ shine through us into this dark and lost world.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, in this post you've crafted a wonderful word picture about light and darkness. Though the world may try to quench the light of Jesus--Jesus' light is too strong for the world to overcome. I'm thankful for electricity--we have it so much better than other places.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, Kim, absolutely nothing the enemy can do could possibly quench the eternal light of Jesus. Oh, how blessed we are! Thanks for your kind affirmation of the message here.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Amen for the light...I loved this. We do take many things for granted until it's not there...but one great thing is that the Light of the Lord will never go out!! Great post.
ReplyDeleteYes, Marla, we do make that mistake of taking so many conveniences for granted. May we regroup and remember to thank God for the blessings He's afforded us. Praise Him that the light of Jesus is eternal!
DeleteLove and blessings!
great illustration. I know whenever the power goes off here, it amazes me how much I still want to switch on the lights or reach for something that won't work. We are spoiled aren't we?
ReplyDeleteYes, Jean, we are spoiled in so many ways, but when we remember to give God the thanks and the glory for all the gifts we enjoy, we no longer are spoiled children of the King, but grateful ones. May we cling to those thoughts and cherish them!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Amen!!! So thankful for the that true LIGHT of Jesus Christ, shining in the midst of all the darkness of this present world. Praise God! Also, praise God your power came back on in a reasonable amount of time. Hopefully no food was lost. Sometimes I wish we weren't so dependent on electricity...but then, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now either...so, I guess there are many good reasons why I still want to keep the lights on!! Have a blessed day.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Pamela, how could we ever communicate without the miracle of electricity? So thankful to live in a country where so many amenities are within our grasp.
DeleteAnd where Jesus shines His light, there is never a trace of darkness. Praise always to God!
Love and blessings!
It is the wise person who ponders their life and every circumstance. Love your perspective and take on this. Sometimes it takes an interruption to get us pack to the proper one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder!
Thanks so much for your kind words here, Floyd. And yes, sometimes it does take an interruption for us to step back and reassess our direction in life.
DeleteLove and blessings!