Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." Isaiah 60:1-3 (NIV)

Most of us can resonate with how the prophet Isaiah colours the earth in Isaiah 60:1-3. Isaiah didn’t describe the earth in brilliant blues and greens, or even the stunning orange and reds of a perfect Ontario Fall day. Instead Isaiah speaks of Earth's spiritual atmosphere in other terms… darkness. Isaiah says, “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples . . ." (vs. 2a)

I received a touching email from a young woman just shortly after another senseless death of a black man in the United States…

"The murder of black people in the States has been spray painting all over what I knew to be true of God." She said that this and personally struggling in the midst of a global pandemic had been "defacing the image of Christ” that she has in her heart.

I was struck by the imagery she used. It made me wonder what had been marring my own view of God.

In the midst of difficulties both near and far, how can we hold onto an image of God that highlights God’s power and goodness? So many questions come in the midst of darkness.

“Why doesn't God do something?"
"Why is there so much evil in the world?"
And more personally, "Why doesn't God help me?"

Isaiah didn't offer answers to these questions. Instead, he listened for God's voice and then spoke the word God gave him.

He painted a picture of an earth covered in thick darkness, yet he also spoke of a light so strong it would pierce the darkness. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you." (vs. 1).

Isaiah did not speak so much of a happy present, but of a blessed future. Though he didn't know Jesus' name, the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Jesus (“the glory of the Lord”) approximately 700 years before His birth.

Isaiah is telling us that what we now know:

Jesus is our answer when we wonder where God is.
Jesus is the light that dispels the darkness and shows us God's great love.

Like Isaiah and the people he spoke to, we sometimes feel mired in gloom. There is so much darkness in the world. Fortunately, we are not left alone to stumble in the darkness. We have been given Jesus, the light by which we filter life's hardships.

Today, would you take a few moments to move your focus from the problems of the world and the problems in our midst to God. As you do, ask Jesus, to give you a deeper vision of who He is, praying that His character will shine like a light through you. Ask for His help in seeing all that is going on today through His eyes, trusting that He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Darkness is nothing but the absence of light. It's a negative—a nothing. As soon as you flip the switch, the darkness vanishes. Today, ask God to turn the light on in you, so that others will see God’s power!