True Light

John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The difference between real light and artificial light. I am going to start with the use of a flashlight at night. When it is dark outside we like to have a flashlight to help us find our way in the dark. If we are lost, we are very grateful for that flashlight in our hand, but what we are really longing for is the comfort of the sun. The sun takes away all of the dark, scary corners where the light of the flashlight will not reach. The sun is warm and brings new light and new hope to a dark and scary world. The truth is we are very thankful for our flashlight while it is dark, but there is a catch. Our flashlight is not very reliable. When we are getting very desperate, our flashlight may be getting worn too and its batteries will start to fail. It is only reliable for a short time, to help start us on our journey. We find comfort in using this light, for we have some control with this light. We can direct it where we want it to shine, and we can turn it on and off as we please. But, like I said, this light is not reliable, for one day it will fail.

In contrast to artificial light the light of God is not controllable. We do not have power over this light and at times this can be very scary and frustrating, especially when we see the sun going down and the darkness of night coming. But unlike our artificial light the light of Christ is very dependable and will never fail us. This light will give us strength and encouragement when we do not think there is any hope left for He is consistent. Ps 112:4, "Even in darkness light dawns for the upright..."

As believers in Christ we are called to be a light to the world. We are the artificial light of Christ. We can give hope and encouragement for a short time, but eventually our light will fail and our comfort will disappear for those who are just dependent on us. This is also true of false gods. These false gods can never give to you what you are looking for. Yes, you can direct them and have some sense of control over them, but this is a false sense of security. It is the light of the One true God that will never fail you nor forsake you. He is consistent. He is reliable. You have no control over Him. It is in this lack of control over Him, where you find that He has given you strength.

Psalm 139, "...If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 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. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!"

Because we see things with our human eyes, we do not see them correctly. Especially, when it seems there is darkness surrounding them. We do not understand that He see everything perfectly, and if we will learn to follow the one who is the maker of true light, that is where our joy will be found. He is the light of the world and in Him there is no darkness. It is only in learning to follow the true light that we find real comfort in this world. It is in His true light that we can finally see the truth. We cannot direct this light and we have no control over this light, but in this lack of control, we can finally learn to let go of our bondage and live free. He has found you. You just have to learn to seek Him. For a time you may need to learn from those He has called to be a light to the world, but then you will need to learn to follow the true light on your own. It is in this following Him, that you will truly be able to see.