Prepare for Christmas with this 14-day interactive Advent devotional

Day 11 - Jesus | The Light

Jane Armstrong

Light triumphs over darkness.

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of me.

John 1:4 (ESV)
Today's Passage – John 1:1-18 (ESV)

When we are introduced to Jesus, we often respond because of his offer of complete forgiveness. Once forgiven, we want to live a life that honors him. But for a while it usually stays focused on our own little story – trying to be moral and good as we trust him for a full life – with a happy ending in heaven one day.

Jesus did bring forgiveness, but more than that – Jesus came to restore us to life. And that restoration is described as light. A triumph of light over darkness. Wiith Jesus’ life in us, our lives are filled with his light! Ephesians 5:8 tells us we “were formerly darkness, but now (we) are light in the Lord ; walk as children of light.

Because Jesus came into our world, we can be restored to the life of God. We are, as a new creation, his ambassadors of life and light in a world of spiritual death and darkness.

We’re in settings all the time where many around us probably don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. What does it look like to be a light in those situations? Sometimes, it’s just doing a simple thing, like greeting people by name, or serving them all in a way that is unexpected and not really your responsibility. Sometimes it's just listening well to others. It doesn’t always have to be a big moment, or awesome words. Often it's just the little things, done daily, that are light in the midst of a dark world.

Reflect

  • What difference has Jesus’ life and light made to you personally?
  • When people encounter me, what is their experience of the light and life of Christ?

Prayer Moment

Go Deeper

Author Nancy Leigh DeMoss speaks of three responses we can have to the darkness in today’s world:

  1. We can curse the darkness.
  2. We can be overwhelmed by the darkness.
  3. We can be a light in the darkness.

How do you tend to respond? Are there certain situations where you have more trouble being a light? If so, identify why that may be true, pray for wisdom, and ask God and others to help you see that change.

Jane Armstrong | Oxford, OH

Jane has been helping women discover and live out fully the purposes God has for them for over 40 years.

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