The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. – Isaiah 9:2 ESV
I will make You as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. – Isaiah 49:6b ESV
Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:16 ESV
I have always loved the lights of Christmas. Even though I have mostly outgrown the need to wake up early on Christmas morning, I still love getting up and just watching the lights on the tree in the stillness of the morning. Each year, Kathy and I find several occasions to go out and look for places to see Christmas lights.
One of my Christmas memories is of Dad loading all four kids into the car to look at lights and to search for Santa. Of course, this gave Mom a chance to finish wrapping presents :-). But we enjoyed the ride and the search. We always made it back home in time to be in bed well before Santa made his arrival.
It is again a season of lights. Not just for those who celebrate Christmas but for Jews who celebrate Hanukkah, with the candles of the menorah, and for Hindus who celebrate Tihar, the festival of lights. The Jews celebrate the power of God to do miracles in saving His people and the Hindus seek to call a goddess to bring wealth into the new year.
For followers of Jesus, the season is not so much the past or the future as it is about the now. Scripture shows us a contrast between the darkness and the Light and it is about His work in our NOW. We have seen Him and light shines on us. We seek Him and we find Him, the Light that fills the dark empty places of our lives. He was, and is and always shall be. He is the Miracle of our past and He is the One who brings true, eternal wealth into each of our years.
And He came for ALL – Jesus is the Light for the Nations! The task has been left to us to take the story of His salvation to the ends of the earth, completing Isaiah’s prophecy. As Christians, “little Christs”, we are to be lights that shine int the darkness wherever we are.
May the Light shine in your lives this Christmas and always!
Be well,
Steve Pierce
