Basking in the Light

 

O

ur house on Main Street underwent many transformations.  Every time our family grew, the house grew right along with it.  Every few years, or so it seemed, it was time to rip out something, rearrange several rooms, or add something to the house.  My mom and dad loved the end result but living through a remodel was, shall we say, challenging. 

 

One of these remodels provided my brother and me with a new room.  Our sister, Heather, needed her own space so she took our old bedroom, and the guest bedroom was transformed into a new bedroom, complete with new closets and a desk.  The carpet was royal blue, and the wallpaper was a vibrant mixture of orange, blue, white, black, and yellow stripes.  It was very pretty and fun to see.  I remember our first night in the new room.  My brother and I had no problem falling asleep.  But the next morning, we learned just how “vibrant” that new wallpaper was. 

 

Mom hit the lights at 7 a.m. sharp but, with all those bright colors, our closed eyelids provided no protection.  One minute I was snoozing in a velvety blanket of darkness and the next I was hit with a wave of light that jolted me into consciousness.  I opened my eyes and for a brief moment I didn’t know where I was.  Nothing looked familiar and I wondered if perhaps I was dreaming. 

 

I believe this is the way the shepherds felt when the angel appeared to them.  Until that moment, everything had been routine.  The hills looked the same, the conversations were the same, the lowing of the sheep sounded the same, it was pretty much business as usual.  Then suddenly, from nowhere, the image of something they had never seen appeared before them.  What’s more, it spoke and there was light everywhere. 

 

Luke records this for us in Luke 2 9b “…and the glory of the Lord shone around them…” Can you say hit the lights?  Just imagine how shocked these men were.  They were catapulted into reality and I’m sure they wondered if they were seeing things or even dreaming.  But notice that this light was all around them.  It dispelled all the darkness and left them only basking in the light of God’s glory.  How fitting this is.  The first thing created was light and the angel was announcing the birth of the “light of the world.” 

 

No matter where you are on life’s road today, I want you to grasp this truth.  The light of God’s glory dispels all darkness.  Wherever he is, there is light. Light to show you the way, light to dispel your fear, light to provide comfort, and light to assure that we don’t walk in darkness.  John said it best, that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.  Are you basking in God’s light today?