A Light Will Shine

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” Isaiah 9:2

Many of you are familiar with Winnie the Pooh books, a delightful children’s series written by English Author A.A. Milne. One of my favorite characters in the stories is Eeyore, a gloomy donkey that seems to constantly be followed by a rain cloud and is always losing his tail. Here are few quotes from Eeyore himself:

• “It’s the only cloud in the sky. And it’s drizzling. Right on me. Somehow, I am not surprised.”

• “Don’t worry about me. Go and enjoy yourself. I’ll stay here and be miserable.”

• “Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be.”

Although Eeyore is a fictional character in an otherwise lighthearted children’s story, he sounds much like some of us. We seem to live in a land of darkness as if a dark cloud was looming over our heads.This was the condition of God’s people, Israel, in Isaiah’s day. God had allowed them to be invaded. He allowed their temple to be destroyed, their homes to be burned, and their enemies to drive them far from the land they loved. But it is against this backdrop of darkness and gloom that Isaiah announces that a great light is coming. There is hope! Christ is coming. And when he comes their darkness will be overwhelmed by the light. 

Perhaps you are walking around in darkness. Sin, fear, loneliness, suffering and loss can leave us in the dark. But we have light. The light is the person and presence of Jesus Christ. We have hope. We don’t have to walk in darkness because the light has come. Light confounds the darkness. John writes in the first chapter his gospel, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” 

Although we will all suffer times of darkness in this life, we can take comfort because Jesus Christ, the Son of God is with us in the darkness and His light brings the hope and encouragement we need to walk out of life’s darkest moments.