He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13–14 (NKJV)
On a recent visit to my mom’s house, we were talking quietly one evening when the dogs started barking. I looked out the window and felt amazed to see how the security light illuminated so much of the yard. Quite a contrast to my childhood memories. Growing up, we didn’t have a single light outside. With no other houses nearby, the nights were pitch-black except for the moon and the stars scattered across the sky. On evenings when a cow started bawling or our dog howled, my dad always went outside to look around. Meanwhile, my mom sat nervously waiting for him to come back, and I was thankful I wasn’t the one who had to go out in the darkness.
As an adult, I still feel intimidated by the dark sometimes—but instead of being in the yard, this darkness tries to infiltrate my mind. Darkness comes when I don’t understand what’s happening around me, when the future seems so uncertain, when I face decisions that confuse me, or when circumstances tempt me to doubt the certainty of God’s love and care. That’s when I need to remember that Jesus has rescued me from the power of darkness. Every kind of darkness.
Once we belong to Jesus’s kingdom, He illuminates our life with His forgiveness, love, and protection. We can trust Him to go out to meet any danger that threatens us and to chase any darkness away. Our Savior is better than any security light; after all, He is the Light of the world.
Faith Step: Ask Jesus to shine His light on any area of your life that seems dark and frightening to you.