Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. – Ephesians 5:11

Every hiker knows, when darkness falls and you are not off the trail yet, even a flashlight with low batteries is a blessing if you turn it on. The first verses in the Bible paint a picture of a formless void, chaotic and dark, then God speaks light, and it bursts forth. He calls it GOOD!

In the story of redemption, Jesus comes to bring the light of salvation to a lost world. Of course, darkness tries to stop it. King Herod has all the baby boys killed in Bethlehem to keep light from shining forth, but he fails. As Jesus matures, Satan tempts Him to betray His heritage, hoping He will submit to the world’s power rather than His Father’s will, and fails. And in the ultimate endeavor to extinguish light, evil crucifies Jesus and buries Him in the darkness of a tomb. Yet again, as in creation, light bursts forth, this time wrapped in eternal life.

Like the moon reflecting the sun in the night sky, the resurrected Christ says, if you follow Him, you will reflect Him on Earth. What does that mean in your life? It means you may bear witness to Christ when others cannot see Him, following His commands, even in front of those who do not recognize His authority. This may lead you to minister to others, perhaps in places where no other light is seen. Pray for God’s presence in the United States, that those who are followers of Christ Jesus will draw many out of the darkness by turning on His light.