The season of darkness is slowly coming into spring and summer
light. I like the snow of winter for skiing and ice for skating, but I do not
like the darkness of winter. Scripture is replete with the image of God as
light and the world as darkness. The hearts of men are described the same way,
either light or dark. However, “God
is light and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). God
describes the hearts of men as stone-like and dark or sinful throughout the Old
Testament. Even at Christmas time, at least as we celebrate it, the days are
short and dark. Isaiah the Prophet speaking of Christ’s birth states, ‘”The
people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land
of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). This is
telling the dark tale of woe for the Israelites under assault by the Assyrians.
And yet the Messiah or “Light of the world,” was going to be born to bring
“spiritual peace.” Isaiah even said, “Woe
to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light
for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).
These are graphic and depressing thoughts of the world 700 years before
Christ. But it seems to me, they are also describing our world today in drab technicolor
grey.
This pinhole image entitled “Prairie,” taken by my cousin
Douglas F. Frank vividly displays a scene of light piercing through the
darkness in the American heartland. Bestselling Author Frank Peretti wrote
novels called, This Present Darkness and
Piercing the Darkness, about the strong reality of evil in the world,
symbolized by the darkness. We live in a world battling good and evil, light
and dark. Many would say that the darkness is winning. I believe that this is sadly
a growing truth. In fact there are ideologies of death that want to conquer and
dominate the world for evil.
Our hearts are all in a battle for good and evil as well.
The Apostle Paul said, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians
6:12). Satan is ruler of the earth and wants to destroy us one by one. We have
a choice in the matter. We can look to the “Light of the World,” Jesus Christ
who overcame the world. We must stand firm in the truth and pray in the power
of the Holy Spirit. “The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
I want
to be a light generator that spreads out wherever I go. I view the photo in
this essay as if it is a pair of wings of an angel lifting and throwing light
into the world. Psalm 34:7 says, "The angel of the Lord encamps around
those who fear Him, and He delivers Him.” The angel of the Lord is God Himself in this
Hymn of praise and delivery from danger and darkness. Become a “light-caster”
and overcome the darkness.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts.