John 12:46 (NIV)
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
In this verse, we see the transformative effect of a relationship with Jesus. We were once in darkness, and now we are in the light. Jesus came into the world as a light, taking us out of the darkness once and for all.
That darkness is both sin and a lack of knowledge about the Lord. We didn’t know the power of the Gospel until we experienced it, and we were not able to say no to sin until Jesus broke the chains it had on us. When Jesus came into the world, He revealed God’s plan of redemption for the whole world. He set us free from sin once and for all.
When we’re struggling with persistent sin in our lives, we can remember that the Lord has set us free from it. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. He gives us the strength to be different from who we once were. He reveals to us the love that the Lord has for us, and this love is much more captivating and exciting than anything else that the world has to offer. Because of Him we walk in the light.
The Bible is living and active upon our hearts. It helps us step into the light about who God is and what He is like. Opening its pages and making the decision to read so we can get to know God is like turning the lights on in a dark room: It dispels the darkness and illuminates the truth. It will help us see the Lord as He is, and we will not abide in darkness when we’re growing in our knowledge of the Lord.
Today, we can make the decision to no longer drift into the darkness. Instead, we can step into the full knowledge of Jesus, walking in holiness and purity, and experience the illumination of the soul that Jesus has for all of us.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank you for having more than darkness for me. I thank you for being the light that came into the world and for penetrating the darkness in my heart. You are so good to me, and I don’t deserve it. Help me to walk in your ways, Jesus. In your name, amen.