SYW Day 4: Light in the Darkness
Reading: Psalm 9:1-7
Psalm 9:2
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
Devotional
Year ago, while we were hanging out on the porch of Christ Our Hope, we lost track of time. We were talking and laughing with a big group of people, sharing stories and just enjoying each other’s company. Before we knew it, darkness had fallen, and it was late—much later than we usually stay. Unfortunately, all the AVDC vehicles were being used, and our small group of travelers had no way to get from the compound to the missionary guest house where we were sleeping. Some of our Liberian friends decided that the best course of action was for us to walk down the hill from the ministry campus and catch a taxi at the main road. So, we gathered up our things, said goodbye to the children, and headed out the pedestrian gate.
Just a few steps beyond the wall, the night turned pitch black. We no longer had the light of the few bulbs that were lit on the porch where we were sitting, and the darkness was so heavy it felt like a tangible thing. We had no flashlights, and even the glow of our cell phones was swallowed up by the thick blanket of night. We hardly dared to take a step. The narrow road down the bluff was filled with potholes and large boulders, and one false step could badly twist an ankle or worse.
But just when we thought we would have to turn back, our Liberian friends reached for us. They took us by the hand and led us down the path, showing us where to walk so that we would be safe all along the way. As we slowly descended the hill, and our eyes adjusted to the dark, we began to see points of light erupting out of the darkness. We walked past a family cooking their dinner over an open fire. They smiled and waved. Another house had a single lightbulb burning on the porch where a mother was feeding her baby. She greeted our friends by name. Every few steps it seemed our eyes were drawn to the warm glow of another light. A fire, a candle, a lamp in a window. By the time we reached the main road, we were all capable of walking, and seeing, in the thick of that dark, moonless night. It wasn’t frightening anymore—it was warm and comfortable, filled with a thousand points of light that illuminated our path.
Maybe you’ve heard the metaphor that God is light a hundred times. Maybe its lost its meaning a bit. But we should never underestimate the power of light. One single struck match will glow furiously in the darkest of nights. It simply cannot be hidden. And just as our Liberian friends took us by the hand and led us down a road that seemed unnavigable, God—the Light of the World—takes our hand and lights up our path.
Further Thought
Where are you seeing points of light today?
How can you be a bright spark?