Who Turns on the Lights?

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone (Isaiah 9:2, ESV).

The sun shines bring here in Colorado. It surprises many who live elsewhere that Denver receives on average 320 days of sunshine every year--more than Miami or San Diego. Many people feel the call to go outside and enjoy that sunshine. And the sun is brutal. The amount of sun people receive in an hour back east is received in Denver in five minutes. Bright, beautiful, powerful light shines!

The Scriptures speak of a darkness that has nothing to sunshine. In fact, here in Colorado, so many who receive this sunshine are walking in utter and complete darkness. Christians who live here and seek to live out the teachings and the love of Christ find this to be a Grade-A mission field. Even though many walk in darkness and brokenness, they are looking elsewhere to have the lights turned on.

• Intellect? University degrees do not provide that.

• Family lineage? God does not have any grandchildren -- our family reflects the light but it does not turn on the lights of our hearts.

• Wealth? No amount of money can buy your way to the light.

• Busyness in church? No amount of committees can work your way out of a darkened heart.

• Nature? Colorado’s nature fills one's heart, but that's just geography--it does not bring the light that's needed.

The Gospel of John utilizes the picture of light and relation to Jesus (John 1:5, 8:12). The light leads to show the path to walk, shines to show what's around, and also what is inside you.

Paul warns about this numerous times in his letters. For instance:

Now this I saw and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity (Ephesians 4:17-19).

Then the lights come on as he continues:

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteous and holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24).

Only Christ and His renewing work can turn the lights on! Come to Him, and see!