Light

Light

Lord, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.

Psalm 18:28

Taking a tour in a big dark cave would be great fun for three young boys, right? That’s what my friend Cindy Cochrum and her husband thought. On their way back from Florida, they saw road signs advertising various caves in Kentucky, so they decided to stop and take a tour.

After waiting in line for a while, their family joined a bigger tour group. They all followed a guide as they began their descent into the cave. The guide was the only person with a lantern, and as he explained how easy it was to become lost or disoriented in a cave, one of Cindy’s sons became increasingly frightened. When the guide announced that he was going to turn off his lantern so they could see how dark it really was, Cindy’s son panicked. The light went out, and her young son cried for his dad and reached out in the darkness, hoping to latch on to one of his dad’s arms or legs.

Thankfully, the light of the lantern soon reappeared, and the boy was relieved. Their guide led them out of the cave, and the sunlight seemed more brilliant to Cindy’s son than anything he’d ever seen.

Sometimes we feel frightened by the darkness of depression, a marital challenge, or an impending move to another part of the country. Calling out and reaching out for our heavenly Father is the best thing we can do. Even when we can’t feel him, he is there. And he promises us that someday the darkness will be gone and we will live with him in brilliant light forever, because he is light.

Father,

Sometimes our lives feel as dark as though we were trapped in a cave. But we thank you for the promise of your presence and your light. Please help us to reach out to you. In the name of Jesus, who is the Light of the World, amen.