Eclipsed

Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

— John 8:12

One Oregon couple spent the last 40 years preparing for the 2017 solar eclipse. They bought hilltop property far from the glare of city lights. They surrounded their new house with observatory decks. And they even installed a special scope in their carefully designed viewing dome. They did all of this work for a two-minute peek at the rare darkness that comes when the moon drifts in front of the sun.

At Christ’s death two thousand years ago, a different kind of darkness covered the land. The Lord’s people should not have been surprised. They, too, had been preparing for a gloriously rare event: the coming of the Messiah. They’d studied the scriptures, built temples and even installed a well-defined set of expectations. Imagine their disappointment when their expectations were not met.

But they didn’t know the rest of the story. They saw Jesus crucified and didn’t realize that three days after those sunless hours, the power of darkness would be forever defeated. It was obliterated by the resurrected light of our Savior.

All of us face unexpected disappointments, sadness and tragedies. Unlike the couple in Oregon, we don’t know how long the darkness is going to last. And like the people who witnessed Jesus’ death, we may have missed His promise to us. We don’t have to live in the shadow of darkness. Because of Christ’s resurrection, we have hope. Because of His death, we can truly live.

Don’t spend your life preparing for the darkness. Spend it living in His light.

Today’s One Thing

We can be sure that the evil one will attempt to eclipse our joy, so spend time today connecting with someone who walks in the light. Be encouraged by them.

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