Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12)

Read: 2 Kings 5:1 – 8:15

Relate: One of the greatest writers in the history of humanity is a man named James Oliver Rigney Jr. He is better known by one of his pen names, Robert Jordan and he authored the greatest epic fantasy series ever, The Wheel of Time. If you have never read this series I really do pity you. Sometime, if you have a spare month or two, you really should dive in. Your life will never be the same. It is only fourteen books long (plus a prequel) and they are only about a thousand pages each (roughly a third of that for the prequel).

Anyways, in this series, there is this one place called only the Ways. They are sort of like a three dimensional maze world that connects various Waygates. Through the Ways one can travel vast distances much quicker than you could cover the same distance travelling the real world. The problem is, the Ways have been corrupted by evil. They were once a beautiful and peaceful place, but now they are dark and foreboding. When people travel through the Ways, they talk about how the darkness around them seems to press in against the light.

As hard as I try, I simply cannot imagine this. Normally, one of Jordan’s strengths in his writing is his ability to create word pictures. As you read, you really do feel as though you are entering his world. But in trying to describe the Ways, he falls short. He is trying to describe the impossible. Darkness never invades the light. It cannot. It is impossible. Wherever light shows up, darkness flees. It always has been this way and it always will. Even in the most far fetched recesses of our imaginations, darkness always runs from the light.

React: There is no escaping from Jesus. Wherever the kingdom of God goes, there is light and that kingdom is advancing day by day, year by year. Millions of followers of God are regularly praying, “Let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Those prayers are not wasted. It is happening, and one day the Light of the World will illuminate every inch of every land from Albania to Zimbabwe. From the North to the South Poles and all points between. Until that day we have two choices. We can either follow Him and walk in His light and have our way and our world view illuminated, or we can continue to try to hide in the ever fading darkness going through life blind and purposeless. Which will you chose?

Respond: 

God, thank You for lighting up my world. Thank You for sending Your Son to invade the darkness. Help me to love the light and ever walk in it. Help me to reflect that light as clearly and as brilliantly as possible that all who look at me might see You. You are the Light of my world.