“And you, child, … will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79 ESV)
Have you ever been completely in the dark—darkness so complete that you could see nothing at all? There is nothing safe to do but sit down. You cannot walk—you can’t avoid danger. You will certainly get lost. All you can do is wait to be found. And oh, the joy when you first see a distant flashlight!
God has given us something even better—He has sent the sunrise itself to give us light, Jesus, His own Son. A flashlight will do for temporary use. But for peace and joy and all-around usefulness—you really need the sun itself, right? Then you will never go astray. The shadows of danger and death are lifted; you can walk freely.
This is the gift of Jesus—the knowledge that the True Light of heaven has come down to earth and never again will we shiver in the darkness. He Himself will be with us to guide our steps in the pathways of peace. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will still have light; for Jesus, who lay down His life for us, will guide us through death and out the other side—into His glorious resurrection.
Prayer: Dear Lord, give me Your light forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Which do you like better, sunrise or sunset? Why?
* Tell a story about a time you walked in physical darkness.
* If you are willing, tell about a time God’s light shown for you during a time of spiritual darkness.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on December 16, 2022
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
