This past winter we suffered the ice storm of the century. Trees snapped in half under the weight of the ice. Power was out across the city for several days. Many streets were impassable due to falling branches and trees. As I stood on my porch at night and looked across our community. I'd never heard it so quiet. Only the sound of another branch cracking and falling broke the silence. A verse from the early chapters of Genesis came to mind, "the earth was formless and void and darkness covered the face of the earth."
To say it was dark would be an understatement. Not even a single street light. Occasionally you could see a beam of a flashlight piercing the darkness. It was dark and bone chilling cold! We lit candles to find out way around the house and huddled around the fireplace for warmth. The few places that by some miracle had power had people swarming it like June bugs to a porch lamp. When the power finally came back on, there were cheers of celebration.
We're all drawn to light. The darker our experience, the greater the appeal of light. The Bible describes God as light. Jesus said He was the light of the world. I love Paul's description of his conversion experience. God's light shined so brightly into his life that he literally went blind for a short period of time. Yet in this passage it wasn't his eyes he refers to, it's his heart. God's light shined into his heart, dispelling the darkness and revealing the glory of God.
Paul became a lantern, aglow with the light of God. When God shines into our hearts, we become reflectors of His marvelous light. It's obvious it's God's light and not our own and that's what makes the message so powerful. God's plan, to make a difference in the lives of people through those of us who have been empowered by the light of God. The good news is that God's light continues to shine even when I have a power shortage, i.e. crisis, stress pressure, calamity, hardship, etc.
God, thanks for shining your light into my darkened heart. I need you. I long for your light in my life. Shine through me so that others can see your glory and find their way.
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