A light in the dark!

1st of December

I can really say that we who live in the North have a time of darkness now. The days are shorter and shorter and some days are really grey. To-day is such a day. Some people become depressed and even I long for more light. I do not especially appreciate snow, but right now I think that snow would make the days brighter. I am glad that this kind of darkness comes from the weather and it has to do with factors outside ourselves.

I believe that many of those who are in darkness either spiritually or from other circumstances, are longing for a change and they might be desperate for a light in the tunnel. Some people are so used to be in the dark that they have almost forgotten how it is to live in the light. Others are afraid of the light since they think that the light will reveal the secrets of the dark. They do not want the sins to be revealed.

To-day I want to write about Him who is the Light and about us who are the children of Light. If it wasn’t for Jesus, this world would be in total darkness and it is because of Him that we can bring some light wherever we are. We read in Is.60:1-2 “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.” When we received Jesus as our Savior, we received the Light and we became the children of Light. In the Norwegian Bible it says that the light will come, but in the English one it says that is has come. We can make a choice: “Do we want the light in us to be seen?” We read in Matt. 5:14+15: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” I really want the Light in me to be seen, but I have many times hidden Him behind nice facades and a bunch of isolating materials. He is within me, but there can be so many things blocking for Him to be seen. Maybe I want the attention myself. In other cases I might want approval and I allow myself to compromise.

There are times when I have been influenced by the news from TV, newspapers and other media. I might have heard a lot of lies and I have started to believe them. Lies are binding me while the truth will set me free. A lot of the information we get through media are imprinted by the dark and is a result of the devil’s deeds. A lot of nations are in a state of disaster due to bad economy. Others are struck by floods and quite a few countries are protesting against their regimes. Regimes are overthrown in order for a worse to take over. In the natural it doesn’t seem to be any solutions. People are not very willing to give away any of their benefits and most people accuse someone else for the misery. It says in the Bible that it should be a lot of selfishness in the last days and that is quite obvious to-day. The tragedies are sometimes so great that I can understand that people choose any kind of solution even if it is a wrong one. We are many who feel that darkness increases and makes the world darker than ever. Is there any hope?

I do not believe in any easy solutions, but I do believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world and He is also the One who can rescue the world. He is able to take care of His children. The Bible is full of promises and we must choose to believe in them. He has promised us to give us rest if we come to Him. He has also said that He is with us every day and that He never will leave us. We have the psalms 23 and 91 that we can read every day and pray over our lives. They give us faith and hope. The Bible is not a book with empty words, but a book full of life and truth. We can therefore stand on the promises as a rock that cannot be moved. We can read in psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” We do not have to walk in darkness, but allow the Word to shine on the path we walk on. The forest around us might be dark, but we can see because of the Word. We might not see so far ahead, but we see as far as we need to. I do believe that when we walk in the light, the others will also see some of the light. The light is stronger than the dark.

I really believe that we should not keep the light for ourselves, but penetrate the darkness around us. The world will be lost if we Christians refrain from spreading the knowledge of the true Light. We can do that by testifying by words and in deeds. We really need the help of the Holy Spirit. I do not always know how to reach another human being, but the Holy Spirit does. He has the key to each individual. We have to be open for His creative ideas. We must not be too rigid in our thinking. I was recently asked to give away four art-books that had taken space in my library for many years. I was supposed to give them to an artist who is not a confessing Christian. He was never accepted at home as an artist since his parents considered art as sin. I said that I had asked God to give me an idea for a gift to make him happy. By saying that, I said that God had accepted him as an artist.

Good deeds are a way into people’s heart. I heard of a congregation where the members went into high blocks of flats and they offered to help people by carrying their heavy groceries. It was a light in the everyday life and a good beginning for a relationship. I heard about a pastor who paid for the extra goods that a person brought to the cashier. The person didn’t have enough money to pay it all.  Can you imagine the person’s surprise? I was very tired one day, but I came to a shop with a very nice person behind the desk and I got new energy.

In order to testify to people, we have to see them. We have to see them as valuable creatures that God loves exactly as they are. They are not objects for salvation, but created by God. You and I are loved by God and that is by grace and that is our hope. We are obliged to love others. We must see them, listen to them and show them respect even if we disagree. We are not together with people in order to prove ourselves right, but to show them some of the light that we ourselves have received. We must not be afraid to tell others about our best friend, Jesus Christ. He has done something for each and every one of us. Personal testimonies have the greatest effect. You cannot discuss that.

I have seen a couple of films where young and ordinary people have been out and prayed for people. They have prayed for their sicknesses and their problems. It was done in a very natural and loving way. They always asked for permission and there was a peace around them. People got very happy when they got better or totally healed. I was at a drug store a few weeks ago. I saw a man laying hands on another man and I got so happy. We are told to do this and have been promised healing.

There are so many needs in the world to-day and none of us can do everything, but we can all do a little. I do believe that we must pray for solutions more than talking about all the problems. I say this to myself just as much as to you. It is so easy to become problem-oriented. We have all the resources in the Lord. He is not only the Almighty, but the Omnipotent. So often I use my own energy instead of asking the Lord for help. I believe that non-Christians will start asking us for solutions to the great problems and we must get used to listen to Him Who have the answers.

We are coming closer to Christmas and many are thinking of gifts and good food. It is also a time for families to be together. Christmas is thought of as something nice, but many forget that this is a time when we celebrate the birth of Christ. Are we also forgetting that? What do you think that Jesus wants for Christmas? I believe that He wants to be visible through us. We are burning many candles in this dark time, but are we living candles?

LET HIS GLORY SHINE THROUGH US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mother Else