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Day Five of Advent

Scripture

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”

— John 1:6-9

Devotional

The Psalmist declares: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. In His mercy God gives His Word to fallen man as a sword of protection and a bright guide of direction in an otherwise dark and confusing world.

Tragically, even with the light of God’s Word, we love the darkness. In the night we foolishly attempt to veil the shame of our wickedness. In the night we naively attempt to flee from the presence of God. In the night we confuse the day for night and night for day. In the night, we lose our way.

In Scripture God calls the prophet to shed the light of His Word into our darkness: to remind us that we’ve fallen from the narrow way into the dark wilderness of our flesh, the world, and the devil. The last and greatest Old Testament prophet, John the Baptist, was called to cry out from the dark wilderness to “bear witness about the light” (John 1:8).

The “radiance of the glory of God” (Heb. 1:3), the Light was leaving the brilliance of His heavenly abode to dwell in a dark world. The brightest of Lights was coming to bear the darkest night of the soul. The Light of lights was coming into this lost world so that those of us hiding in darkness might find ourselves hidden in Him.

Prayer

Oh God, we are those who have walked in darkness but have now seen a great light. We are those who have dwelt in a land of deep darkness on whom Your light, Jesus, has shined. Thank You. Amen.