Light the Way

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-John 8:12 (NIV)

DURING our church services, the children gather for a lesson in front of the congregation. The woman who leads this lesson does an excellent job, allowing time for the children to question, to think, and to respond in their own words for all to hear. A recent discussion focused on the idea of light. At one point she asked them, "What happens if you don't have any light?"

"It gets dark," one responded. "You might get really cold," another offered. "You'd bump into a lot of things!" said a third.

Those last spontaneous words spoke to me like no others in the service. We all find ourselves in darkness at times, stumbling around and searching for light. Sometimes we bump into things that hurt us. During these times, we may feel as if we are lost. We may even think that God has abandoned us on our journey.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus calls himself the light, the one who shows us the way to God. Turning to God and asking for help through the shadows will help us find our way. Our good and gracious God is always there, illuminating our lives and igniting the spark in each of us.


Prayer
Loving God, shine your light into our lives so that we may carry that light into the world. Amen.



From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Nicole Teed