For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
Psalm 18: 28
Have you ever been caught in the darkness without the glimmer of a light. Darkness can be scary. You are left to grope about to find what you want. You are completely disoriented to your surroundings. With the recent winter storm events over the eastern half of the country, many were concerned about or experienced extended power outages. With heavy snow and ice, high winds, and near and below zero temperatures in the forecast, I don’t know about you, but I scrambled to make certain I had good battery-operated lights and plenty of candles and a good lighter. Thank You Lord! I didn’t need them. I had light. I read today where someone who had lost power set up a crockpot bowl upside down on 2 large soup cans and put candles beneath the pot to get heat and light. What an ingenious rigging job! I may do the same for our next threat.
There are billions in our world who live not in a power-outage darkness, but spiritual darkness. They are unaware that the Light of the World is theirs if they turn to Jesus. Do they not have a hint of how dark their night is in the absence of the Light of the World in their lives? I’m reminded of the song by Oswald J. Smith and Homer Rodeheaver, “Then Jesus Came. [i]”
One sat alone beside the highway begging,
His eyes were blind, the light he could not see;
He clutched his rags and shivered in the shadows,
Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee.
God has been the source of light since Day-1, when He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1: 3). God went on to create a beautiful world to reflect His beauty in the light He had called into being. He created people to enjoy the world He’d made, but …
People chose darkness.
In choosing darkness, the enjoyment of God’s creation flits by unnoticed. Darkness crowds in on the day-to-day drudgery, conflict, illnesses, infidelity, pride, passion, and death. The only way to light up the world again is Jesus.
God has always had a remnant of those who choose His light over the darkness. From Noah to Abraham to Moses to the Prophets, people who had faith in God found His light within them. They allowed God to light their lamp.
Jesus came and paid the price for human darkness by giving His life on the Cross of Calvary. Moreover, He rose again from the dead to conquer eternal death for those who let God light their lamp.
What do we do with the lamp He has lit within our spirit? We invite others into the glow of His presence. Not only do billions of people around the world live in darkness; and yes, they need the Light of the World in their lives, but also neighbors, friends, and kin grope in their darkness. While we glow, how can we allow others to grope?
When I see darkness all around,
do I hide and hoard my light?
Do I avoid the darkened heart
and ignore their dying plight?
What if I move into their shade
and I show them Jesus’ grace?
What if I walk in their missteps
where I meet them face to face.
Perhaps they’d see my lamp is lit
and my room is bathed in flame.
Perhaps they’d want to leave the dark
and believe in Jesus’ name.
June E. Titus 1/28/26
Challenge: Join me as we glow with others who grope in their spiritual darkness.
Prayer: Father, God, through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, You have set aglow my lamp; help me to shine Your light into the darkness of those around me first, and then into the world beyond my door. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
[i] https://hymnary.org/text/one_sat_alone_beside_the_highway_begging#google_vignette
