A Great Light

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. --- Isaiah 9:2

The Bible In One Year:
Galatians 1-3

I was driving through the mountains of western Maryland on a cold December night. As I topped a ridge near Rocky Gap State Park, a brilliant sea of lights caught my attention. What in the world is that? I wondered as the exit road flashed past. It so aroused my curiosity that 5 miles down the interstate I turned around and drove back to see what it was --- a local community's celebration in lights during the Christmas season. At noon, I wouldn't have noticed anything. But at night, the dazzling display couldn't be ignored.

Strange, isn't it, that we complain about the moral and spiritual darkness of our world, yet it is the perfect setting for the radiance of the Lord Jesus Christ. At Christmas, we often read these prophetic words: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined" [Isaiah 9:2].

Jesus said to Himself: "I am the light of the world" [John 8:12], and to His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden" [Matthew 5:14].

In a dark world, people don't see a great light without wondering why it's there and what it means. We get to tell them. --- David McCasland

O Holy One of glorious birth
Who lives within our heart,
May we to all men everywhere
Your wondrous love impart. --- Brandt

TO LEAD OTHERS OUT OF THE DARKNESS, LET THEM SEE YOUR LIGHT.