The Light and the Darkness

It never ceases to amaze me how one may see illustrations of the truths presented in the Scriptures in the everyday world. Not too long ago, I was driving rather late at night (around 1am or so) through western Illinois for a weekend vacation. It amazed me to see how dark this region was at night-- when one is used to the perpetual "neon haze" of the city, one easily forgets how dark it can truly be at night. The darkness seemed so great that it appeared to actually swallow any light from the occasional headlight or lamplight that passed by.

As I drove through this darkness, I was reminded of the following passage in John 12:35:

So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes."

It was very evident to me that night how great the darkness was, and how easy it would be to get lost in such a darkness. A person would have no bearings nor perception enough to travel in such a landscape without some form of light.

A day and a half later I was back on the road, this time heading northeast through western Illinois, but this time during the daytime. What a difference the day makes! The landscape was discernible and travel was made much easier.

We ought to be so reminded concerning Jesus the Christ. We read the following concerning Him in John 1:4-5:

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

We are told further the following in Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:12-13, and Matthew 5:14-16:

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.