The Light

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   

 the night will shine like the day,
    

for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:11-12 NIV

I love the long days of summer.

When our children were young, we’d take them outside to play on summer evenings after dinner. They’d ride their tricycles and chase fireflies, play in the sandbox and draw pictures with sidewalk chalk.

Of course, they were completely worn out by bath time and falling asleep before their heads ever hit the pillows!

Those sweet moments of children playing on long twilight evenings - where did they go?

The lengthy days of summer remind me that I am given the gift of spiritually living in the light.

God does not dwell in the dark, because He is, Himself, inextinguishable light. There is no faraway place where His light cannot reach.

The summer fireflies we chase give off a brief spark.

But God -

He is always and forever

the burning sun,

radiant,

dazzling,

a blazing fiery brilliance.

There is no darkness in Him.

When our souls feel threatened by difficulties, He is there with us - His light guides us. We can fearlessly face our challenges because He, the true Light, is always present.

The old darkness of the past can chase us. But we are new creations in Christ, and so, as His children, we leave darkness in the past and live within His brilliant light.

Take on His light and shine it in this dark world. And in this newness, He will powerfully enable you. By His grace you bear His soul-reaching light in the farthest places of darkness.

He will use YOU to carry light for others.

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.”

Matthew 5:14-15 CSB

So if you’re feeling like the darkness of difficulties is trying to chase you down, remember that you don’t live there - you live in the light. And you display His light for others, too.

Allow these long days of summer to call you back.

Take a walk outside after dinner.

Watch the sunset.

Chase a few fireflies.

And as the lengthy dusk falls, remember…

…once you were full of darkness,

but now you have light from the Lord.

So live as people of light!

Ephesians 5:8 NLT

Today is a GOOD day!
Natalie