Leave the Light On

 

I

 grew up in a small town nestled in the Piedmont of Western North Carolina.  Our house on Main Street was the place I called home, and the place where I learned so many of life’s important lessons.  At the time, I didn’t know how important they were nor did I understand the role they would play later in life.  But now, as I look back on those years and on that house, so many sights, sounds, and experiences come sharply into focus and I see my childhood in such a different light.

Our home was wonderful. I always felt secure and safe within its walls, especially at night when I had climbed into bed and daddy closed the front door.  I can still hear that door and remember how deeply I slept, confident that door would remained closed and that mom and dad would take care of me.

Before going to bed themselves, mom and dad would check in on each of us and they made sure that the bathroom light was always on.  Although the sleeping arrangements changed for me as my brother and sister came along, that light in the bathroom never changed. It burned each night, standing watch over us and no matter how dark it grew outside my window, the light from our bathroom reassured me that everything was and would be all right until sunrise the next morning.

The gospel of John has much to say about light and darkness. He mentions the word light no fewer than 15 times in his gospel. It is here that Jesus says of himself that he is the “light of the world” and John begins with the notion of a “light shining in darkness” that the “darkness can never put out.”  What a wonderful promise this is because, no matter our age, we are all afraid of the dark.

In John 12:46 Jesus says, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” Please notice the two truths that are in this statement. First and foremost, Jesus makes it very clear that the world is a dark place.  We need look no further than the front page of our newspapers to understand this truth.  But Jesus does not leave us in the dark! He says that his purpose in coming was to be the light to dispel the darkness so we would no longer have to live in fear or in the darkness of sin.

Back on Main Street, if I woke up during the night because of a bad dream, or if I needed a drink of water, or if I just thought there was something lurking in the corner of my room, the bathroom light provided comfort, reassuring me that all was well, that nothing in the darkness would harm me and, that if I needed to get out of bed, I would be able to see where I was going.  What a wonderful picture this is of Jesus.  He watches over us constantly, protecting us from things we can’t see, providing light so we won’t stumble, and making sure that when we feel alone and afraid, that we see and feel the comfort of his presence.  Do you know the security of having Jesus as your nightlight today? He will always leave the light on for you!