Light

Light

I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.

Psalm 139:11-12

One of my favorite childhood memories was taking a summer trip to the Shaffers’ cottage in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin. The two highlights of the week were going to Bridgeman’s for ice cream and visiting the town dump. “The dump?” you might ask. “What’s so great about visiting the town dump?”

The town dump was a good place to see bears. After dark, we parked our car a short distance from the dump, turned off the headlights, and listened for sounds of animal life. When we heard rustling or banging, the driver of the car would turn on the lights so we could see what was going on. Most of the time all we saw was raccoons, but sometimes the car beams exposed bears. Great excitement! In the darkness, we had no idea what we were hearing, but when the lights of the car shone in front of us, we were able to spot the animals. It was the light that made things clear.

On this earth, we experience both light and darkness—depending on the time of day and season of the year. But God is not limited by darkness. He dwells in light and he sees us all the time, no matter where we are. He not only sees us but he knows everything about us. His light is always on, because he is light. How comforting—especially for a child—to know that we can never be lost to God.

Father,

Thank you for the security that your light brings to our lives. Amen.