Walking In Light
Jan 8, 2020 | by Anthony Wade
There are not many places that I would rather be for a relaxing day, than at the beach. It is so wonderful to be able to sit in a comfortable lounge chair with your toes dangling in the sand and listen as the soothing sounds of the tide virtually wash away every ounce of life’s stress with each and every wave. Even though there are plenty of other good ways to unwind, I guess this would be my top choice. It has been said that your worst day at the beach is better than your best day stuck at the office.
Perhaps the thing that I like best about the beach is that it is totally out there in the open. The peaceful sunlight seems to burn away all fear of the unknown. When you are at the beach, it is actually difficult to think about the trouble that awaits you back in the “daily grind” of life. In fact, you have to close your eyes and concentrate really hard to forget the peacefulness of the beach and mentally place yourself back into the difficulty of life’s demands. Beaches are truly one of God’s gifts of tranquility to man.
As I pondered the serenity of the beach one day, the Lord showed me that the reason this is such a picture of peace is because of the abundance of light that is present there. Sometimes I like to just stop and think about light. It is amazing to me how light simply defeats darkness. Have you ever been down in a basement in the middle of night that has absolutely no light? I don’t mean a little light, I mean NO LIGHT. No nightlights, no windows to let in moonlight, no cracks through the ceiling to let in light from upstairs, not even a microwave with a flashing digital clock. Can you picture a place like this? My grandmother and grandfather had a basement like this when I was growing up and let me tell you, there is no place as intimidating for a five year-old boy than a cellar filled with utter darkness.
That cellar is a representation of how many people see their life. The reason that life is difficult for so many folks is because they view life as nothing more than a series of unknowns. The unknowns of life are like the dark places that most people don’t want to explore. They cringe when they think of going to a new place or new level in life because, after all, it is much easier to stay in what they think are the well-lit places. The problem is that, for the unbeliever, even the places that seem well-lit are still dark (1 Corinthians 3:18). You see, before a person receives Jesus as savior, his life is full of darkness.
The good news is that Jesus came to be the light that a dark world so desperately needs. The person who is in Christ Jesus has been called out of that darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). But that’s just the beginning. Ephesians 5:8 tells us that we get to walk daily as children of that light. When you walk as a child of light, you represent the answer to the world’s problem. You get to shine light into darkness. That light you radiate isn’t just for the world's benefit, though. It is also for YOU to enjoy when facing your own issues! The light of the Gospel will reveal the answer to each and every one of your life’s problems. Wherever you need insight, your Heavenly Father will reveal truth (Ephesians 1:18).
For the believer, life never again has to be a series of unknowns. In John 8:12, Jesus said “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” My friend, I learned something as a young boy. There is NO amount of darkness that can overwhelm light. I figured out that I could take my flashlight right down into that cellar at my grandparents’ home and not be intimidated one bit. In fact, you could go to the deepest, darkest cave on planet earth and ignite just one single match and that darkness would have to give way to light!
The same is true when it comes to the difficulties you face in life. Don’t analyze life’s problems any more than you would analyze that dark room. Just allow the light of the world to illuminate your path and walk in that light to victory today!
Today’s Word Study: John 1:1-9