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Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light” (John 12:35, 36).

We moved to North Carolina from the Midwest, where we didn’t deal with a lot of power outages. We arrived in the South in August just in time for hurricane season, and everyone we met those first weeks mentioned Hurricane Fran. (Yikes!) I am nothing if not prepared, and as you are already aware of my love of lists, you can bet my hurricane preparedness list was epic! 

When the first storm was predicted to head this way I had already stockpiled the necessary supplies; along with water and non-perishable food items, sources of light were at the top of my list. Thankfully there haven’t been any major hurricanes in the five years we’ve been here, but my supply of light sources has come in handy for other random power outages.

One power outage “hack” I came across online was to use outdoor solar lights instead of candles or flashlights. Of course this is most useful during extended times without electricity, but we were able to utilize it once during a 12 hour stint without power. We left the solar lights outside during the day to absorb the sun’s rays, and strategically placed throughout our home, they kept the darkness from becoming overwhelming overnight. The sun’s energy gave them power, and they lit our home longer than battery operated light sources could.

Jesus was the literal Light walking among the people of his time, and they didn’t recognize it. He predicts the coming darkness, and he encourages them to walk in and trust the light while they have it. Not too much later, they all lived the events of Holy Week, from the light of Palm Sunday to the darkness of Good Friday. Sometimes we don’t realize we’ve been near a source of light until it’s been taken away, and sometimes it’s that we’ve taken it for granted. Jesus was trying to clue everyone in in these verses: He was letting them know of his absence ahead of time so they could absorb the Light while they still could. Just like the folks who decide to weather hurricanes on the coast despite (mostly) accurate weather forecasting, warning systems, and evacuation orders, the people surrounding Jesus on earth didn’t fully understand the events being foretold to them.

Jesus defeated darkness on the cross once and for all, and now His light lives within us. Are you letting His light shine through your words, your actions, your life? As the song goes, let’s let our little lights shine!

Take a minute to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice today. Thank Him for his Light that is always with us.

Take a moment to ask that His light would shine on the dark recesses of your heart, illuminating anything needing to be brought to light.

How can your light bless those around you this week? Pray that God would help you see opportunities to shine your light.