God of grace and God of glory, pour out Your power on the needs and challenges in the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for this morning comes from Isaiah 9: 1 But there'll be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he'll make that whole area glorious - the road along the Sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows - light! sunbursts of light! 3 You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they're so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. 4 The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants - all their whips and cudgels and curses - Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian. (The Message)
Have you ever been afraid of the dark? I went through a phase as a child when it was not the most comfortable thing in the world go from the light into the dark. And I have worked in settings where the planning of some buildings did not have a genius to it, where the door was on the north side and the first light switch was on the south. That fear is grounded in the belief that one cannot see all dangers or predators, and there might just be monsters in the closet or under the bed! Darkness for the biblical writer and reader was used at times to indicate the worst of times. We also say about our history during those times when we were not at our best behavior were times of great darkness or "in the dark days of" and we fill in the blank with something that should embarrass us. And light, on the other hand, came to represent the opposite. Verse 2 is a famous verse that says it all, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." The presence of God and God's action in our lives is an occasion to celebrate. To see God moving in our midst is to say that God is doing great things and a time for "great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings." To see the end of oppression and cruelty among all the peoples of the earth is indeed the time to praise God!
PRAYER: Loving God, may You help me walk in light always. May my actions and decisions reflect a life lived in light and not in darkness. I pray the same for my country and for all countries of the world. I pray for the end of oppression, cruelty, racism, sexism, classism, ageism, and all things that do not represent You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
