I heard a story years ago at an LWML Convention from Pastor Kim DeVries. He spoke about his first church in Mississippi. He was preaching at an evening service when a thunderstorm knocked the power out. He also went silent, not knowing what to do, until a voice called out, “Keep preaching — we can see Jesus even in the dark!”

John wrote at the beginning of His Gospel: The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  Some translations have the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5 RSV).  We live in a world of darkness, and it is all around us. That darkness makes its presence known in so many ways in our lives.

My daughter told me recently that her three-year-old daughter was watching one of her favorite shows, Peppa Pig. She came into the kitchen and told her mom, “That show was so silly. One of the kids said she had two mommies.” We see depictions of “alternate” lifestyles in almost every movie and television show these days. If we say we disagree, we are vilified and attacked. And that is just one example.

Our nation faces crises because people have turned away from God and His Word as a standard. Society has redefined marriage, implemented health care policies that tell us we cannot follow God’s Word and our conscience, and is demanding that churches fund things that go against our beliefs. The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide.

There is darkness in our personal lives as well. We all struggle with our demons that seek to drag us down and away from God. We often listen to them and act as though there is no hope. The darkness is near.

But we have the light. It has shined on us.

2 Corinthians 4:6  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Jesus has conquered the Prince of darkness and earned victory for us through His sinless life, His death of sacrifice and His resurrection triumph. The Light has shined on us. We can see Jesus even in the dark, because He overcomes the darkness. And now you have been called to let your light shine, the light that shined on you.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, keep the light of Jesus shining. It will have an impact whether you realize it or not. A little verse makes more and more sense to me the older I get:

Only one life, twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.