The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 NIV
I turned in my bed; it was still dark, so I looked at the ceiling. It was 4:14. Yes! I can sleep for two more hours! So with that, I went back to sleep.
Some genius, somewhere and at some time, invented a clock that shines the time on the ceiling. What a marvelous invention! I can see the time without sitting up or having to turn on a light. It is right there on the ceiling in big numbers I can see even without my glasses.
Or, at least, it is there if it is dark in the room. If the sun shines enough in the morning to light up the ceiling, the lighted numbers on the ceiling clock no longer show, and I have to maneuver over to where I can see my bedside clock.
The other morning just as dawn began to creep in, I could still faintly see the numbers on the ceiling, and it made me think about light and darkness and about shining in the dark.
Light is mentioned 263 times in the New International Version of the Bible, and light and darkness is a theme through much of Scripture, such as Isaiah 9:2, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (NIV). We find this motif over and over, especially in the books written by John. In John 8:12, we read that Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”(NIV). Jesus also said in Matthew 5:14 that we – you and I – are supposed to be a light set on a hill. Even long before Jesus said that, He said the same thing through Isaiah: “I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:6 NIV). How do we do that? Psalm 18:28 gives a clue: “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (NIV).
Thinking about my ceiling light, it seems to me that in a dark world we should be able to be easily seen. But when Jesus comes in, we will disappear and people will see Him instead. That is what I want: for people to see Jesus through me. In Psalm 36:9, we read, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light” (NIV). I must cling to the promise found in Psalm 119:130: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (NIV).
In His Presence Copyright ©2018 General Conference Women’s Ministries Department