Promises - Pt. 5

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 ESV).

 

God is so good to come along at just the right time with just the right thing. While I was finishing up yesterday’s devotional (I usually write them about a week ahead of the scheduled publishing) I received a call from my county health department informing me that Mary and I have an appointment to get our Covid-19 vaccinations. I must say I am thrilled with that news. We have been very careful, but the challenge has worn on us. With the news it was as if a light had broken through the darkness of uncertainty.

 

That feeling brought me to the next promise of God in our series. The Gospel of John uses the image of “light” to help explain who Jesus is. Our reading today says Jesus Christ, the Word of God, created the world with God in the beginning. He also came into the world to save it, because it was broken by the curse of sin and death. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Eden, they brought this curse on all of God’s creation (cf. Genesis 3). The world that God once called “good” has been afflicted with conflict, isolation, sickness, and grief ever since. And sin has estranged us from the God who created us. Even worse, no matter how hard we try, we cannot make things right. Our sin continually forms a barrier between us and our Creator. This is the darkest of darkness!

 

Now that Light, Jesus, has broken into our fallen world and cannot be extinguished. I need to remind myself of that truth when I begin to feel the chaos of a fallen world trying to encroach into my life. Maybe you are reading these devotions because you are feeling sin’s effects in your life. Perhaps something has happened that has left you feeling lost or confused. Maybe you feel as if you are groping in the dark, looking for a light to guide your way. God promises that the darkness you face—whatever it might be—will never overcome the light of Christ. Like a lighthouse on a rocky shore, Jesus offers us hope and a clear path to God. There is no sin or enemy of God that is big enough to snuff out the light of Christ. He will always be victorious, and if we place our faith in him, he invites us to share in his victory. Go ahead… walk in the Light!