The Darkness Does NOT Overcome the Light

This morning I am shifting to study the word “overcome” and I begin in John as he speaks of the light that is the LORD.

“⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:4-5 (ESV)

When reading this verse and studying of the light of the LORD, it is clear to me that the darkness is a powerful thing. Darkness is all around. If we are not aware, darkness is even disguised as good. Take the example (I want to be clear in that this is an example of evil appearing good and should only be taken as such) of the Holocaust. Those on the side of Hitler believed that to make things better there needed to be a cleansing. When we think about things, a cleansing can be good, but as we know, in this instance it was not good and was filled with darkness. So, we have to be very careful with darkness as it is very deceitful and powerful.

But, there is one thing that will not be overcome by darkness and that is the light. In its simplest form, a lit candle, light provides the ability to see in the darkness. But, the light that is the LORD, is way more powerful. No matter the darkness that comes, the light of the LORD will not be overcome. Take the example above of the Holocaust. The darkness was destructive and powerful to the point that there was despair all around. But the light of the LORD won out in the end. The Nazis were defeated and that darkness was no more.

Make no mistake, darkness will continue to fight. Whether it is theft, drugs, murder, or even those things more subtle like turning attention away from the LORD. Darkness is not going to give up. But, we have the light that is the LORD on our side and He will not be overcome. He will root out the darkness so that all will see. We only have to open our eyes and see.

What are your thoughts on darkness and the light? Are you even aware of the power of darkness? What if you were, through your belief in the light, realized that darkness does not have a chance to win?

Fill your Body with Light

This morning I shifted my study to the word “body”, and the first passage reminds me to fill my body with light.

“²²The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” – Matthew 6:22-23 (ESV)

In this world today, it is easy to get sucked into the darkness. There are so many outlets that will draw me in that I have to make a conscious effort to avoid them. The internet, social media, news networks, TV and film are all breeding grounds for darkness. Notice all that I have listed above and how they enter our body, through the eyes. It is through the eyes that we are influenced. After all, seeing is believing, right?

It is no wonder that Jesus warns us of that which is infiltrating our bodies through our eyes. I see these two verses as the warning to stick close to the Word of God and avoid the darkness that is working around us. I have to be sure to focus on the good and Godly and avoid the bad and evil where I can.

I have worked hard to keep my focus on the LORD and avoid the idle times in my day. It is in those times of idle that I will find myself engaging in the breeding grounds for darkness. When I am idle, I look for something to “entertain” me and that leads me to the items I listed above, because they are easy engage.

It is so much better, although more difficult, to engage in the LORD as opposed to the societal influences that are perpetrated in the world. I have to remember, when idle, engage in the LORD through His Word. I have to grab my Bible and read. I have to get on my knees and pray. I have to engage in those activities and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Where these are just great opportunities to learn and study God and bring glory to Him, they are also the way to keep light entering my body through my eyes and allowing me the chance to avoid the darkness.

I have to fill my body with light and that is done through the study of God’s Word and keeping active in His work as I avoid the darkness that surrounds me. I have to do as I am right now in studying and writing relating to the Word of God and that keeps me from the darkness and bringing glory to Him and light to me.

What are you allowing into your body through your eyes? Are you allowing yourself to be influenced by all that you see when you are active and/or idle? What if you focused your attention at all times on the Word of God and doing His work and avoiding the influence from the world and the darkness that is presented?

Into Light or Dark Via Works

I have a choice to either be in the light or in the dark. That choice is driven by my works in this world.

“¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” — John 3:19-21 (ESV)

These are the words of Jesus. He came into this world and into the darkness to expose the people to the light that He is. He gave the people the opportunity to come to something greater. He did not stay on the throne and ask the people to come to Him, He went to them where they were.

I like to use imagery to visualize what things will look like, so here goes. I have watched a number of movies where the lead character goes into a dark room or area exploring for whatever it was in the movie. As the character goes into the darkness, the light they are carrying exposes the hoards of beings congregating. As the light shines on the beings, they move, but not toward the light, away from it to avoid the light that exposes them for what they are and what they have done. In the darkness there may be a few that are not like the others and when the light is brought into the darkness they will move toward it to be rescued from the darkness and the beings found there.

Jesus came to be the light in the darkness and as He came those in the darkness either moved away to remain unexposed or they move toward Him to be rescued. I personally choose to be rescued. I have done some things that I am not proud of and it would be easier to move away from the light and stay in the darkness so that I and my actions are not exposed, but what does that get me but more works I am not proud of and I will perpetually remain in the dark. By coming into the light, I may have some challenges getting there, but thanks to Jesus, the reward of salvation and forgiveness and grace are far greater than the shame of remaining in the dark.

I have to allow my works to speak to who I am. I can choose the works to be “carried our in God”, or I can choose to remain in the dark and remain shameful for the works carried our there. I choose to be in the light and carrying out the works that God has for me to bring glory to Him and the gospel to the people.

Where are you spending your time? Are you in the dark, ashamed of the works you have done? What if you were to see and come to the light that is God and accepting the forgiveness for those works and continue forward doing the works of God in the light?

Ministry Thanks to Mercy

This morning I was brought to Paul’s 2^nd letter to the Corinthians. In the 4^th chapter, he writes of “The Light of the Gospel”, Jesus. I am studying the word “mercy” and verse one is where I find the word.

“¹Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” — 2 Corinthians 4:1 (ESV)

I will admit, that when reading this verse, I was a little unsure of what to think. Yet, I read on and that is where I find the depth of where Paul began.

Paul tells that we are to just keep on keeping on doing the work of the LORD. I am to spread the gospel and know that God will do the work to open the eyes of those to receive it. In this world, there are plenty who scheme to hide the truth. The thing is that the light of Jesus Christ will always win out. When there is a dark room, the light from a single candle exposes that which is in the room and so it is with the light of Christ. Those who hide the truth are counting on the darkness and Jesus’ light exposes the truth.

In the keeping on with the work of the LORD, I am spreading the light of Christ into the world. I am not concerned with myself and what will become of me as that has already been promised. I just keep spreading the gospel and allowing the light of Christ to shine in all the places of darkness. His light will win out and provide the same promise that was provided to me.

“⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” — 2 Corinthians 4:4-5 (ESV)

Now that I know my work is to just keep on keeping on, I know that my impact/ministry is reliant on God. All that I am doing is for Him to manifest results, not me. It is through His mercy that my impact/ministry’s results are realized. I am only here to do the work and give all glory to God in the process. I have to remember that without the mercy of God and the light of Christ, I am simply contributing to the darkness around me. I carry the light of Christ and through His mercy I am making an impact.

“⁶For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

What contributes to your impact/ministry? Are you relying on your own work and hoping for to be rewarded with the result? What if you took the approach that your impact/ministry was thanks to and reliant on the work of God and His mercy, you simply carry the light and spread the gospel and allow Him to manifest the results since your reward has already been promised?