But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9
My home office has a beautiful view of the sunrise each morning, and for the better part of the day, lots of natural sunlight streams through the window of the office. So much so that I often don’t even turn on the light in the room. I work on throughout the day, acclimated to the light of the sun and my computer screen. However, often by mid-afternoon, the light from my window is growing dim. I often don’t notice it because my eyes have become accustomed to the slow decrease in the sun’s beams through my window, much like the frog in the boiling pot analogy. It is at the moment of shadow and darkness that I suddenly realize that I have not yet turned on the light in the room.
There are times in life when I feel like light is beaming all around me and within me. I feel hopeful, confident, and excited about the present and the future. The sunrise of life is in full view from my window, and even the harshest words or most incredulous setbacks cannot dim my spirits. It is in these moments I have likely been spending a lot of time thinking about the good things God has blessed me with. I have been meditating on His Word, and I have been speaking blessings over my life. Or this may even be a period of time when I am not doing these things, but I am drinking from the overflow of a previous season of praise. In these times, I am basking in the Light. Jesus says in John 8:12, “….I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”
As long as the true Light is shining, it amazes me how easy it is to get things done. I plug along without a care in the world because I have cast my care upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Inspiration seems to flow freely. My energy level is increased. I feel bold in my prayer life, and I pursue after the promises of God with fervent anticipation of victory coming very soon.
Then, slowly and almost infinitesimally, the shadows begin to creep in. There are still enough streams of sunlight to remind me that the light is still there and even to trick me into thinking that it is the same amount of light that was there before. I continue to plug along, not noticing the shadows that are seeping in. Before I realize it, darkness has descended and surrounded me.
I neglect to remember that the sun does not move, but I do. This means I cannot sit still. I cannot stay in one place. I cannot become complacent. I have to keep looking for the sun, or the shadows will soon become darkness, and darkness can be a consuming force that can drown the memory of the light from our eyes.
Jesus speaks about the “light of the body” being the eye in Luke 11:34-35, and many scholars have studied the original meaning of the word used for “eye” in this text to represent the consciousness. Jesus says that what the “eye”, or consciousness, is focused on is what will determine if light or darkness is brought into the entire body. This means that, whatever we focus on, think upon, worry about, or desire, has a massive impact on whether light or darkness will fill your being. Just as I have observed in my own life, when I think upon the goodness of God, when I read His Word, when I am actively doing the things He has called me to do, my life feels enlightened. However, when I am worrying about things in my life, or I neglect my prayer time, I notice that the shadows are slowly creeping back into my life. I can be deceived to think that it is only a shadow, but very quickly, it becomes utter darkness.
But thank God, “…the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee” (Psalm 139:12). God is the Maker and the Master of both. The Psalmist also tells us in Chapter 18, verse 28, that “…the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” Just as He spoke to the darkness in Genesis 1, God can speak light to your dark circumstances.
You just have to turn on the Light.
Day of Small Things 