When Light Shines in the Darkness
“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1-2, NKJV).
This scripture speaks of the last days when darkness seems to have won the day, a time when hopelessness for the future seems to have invaded the hearts of many. Yet God is saying to his people, “Don’t think I have forsaken you.”
Scripture also says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2).
Do you remember that day in your life when there was a void, an emptiness and darkness on your face? Do you also recall when the Spirit of God began to hover over you, and you experienced the presence of God?
That’s what the Spirit of God does. He comes into the darkened places in our hearts and wants to get a hold of us.
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). When God speaks, the darkness must give way to light. When God speaks, emptiness must give way to purpose. When God speaks, the void in our hearts suddenly fills with an understanding of why we were created. “And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:4).
When light appears, confusion dissipates, and we begin to recognize the difference between good and evil. We understand what is of God and what is not of God. Confusion and difficulty have to give way to the light of God.
Oh, aren’t you thankful that through God’s mercy, he hovered over you and said, “Let there be light!” We live in the light not because we found Jesus but because he found us. He has revealed himself to us and has spoken into our lives. God commanded his light to shine in our darkness, and we are now new creations in Christ.
Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001. In May of 2020, he transitioned into a continuing role as General Overseer of Times Square Church, Inc.