Days of Winter

I enjoy all the seasons, but something about winter I could do without, is the shorter days. When we begin closing the curtains at 4:00pm I feel like I need to go to bed soon. However, on a positive note, because the days are shorter, I find myself doing all I can in the daylight before night falls. Perhaps we all work a little harder and faster as we see the light being replaced by darkness. We want to accomplish as much as possible.

Is it any different in our spiritual worlds? The Light of God’s truth is being ignored. Therefore, we want to do all we can to share the Good News while there is still some light. Overall, people all over the world don’t want it anymore. Darkness has set in. The days of Light have grown short. The darkness of sin abounds and is even applauded while the Light of Jesus is slandered and hated. As days of the acknowledgment of God’s love diminishes, as we grow older in our physical years, we sense desire to work harder and faster. We want everyone to know the joy and peace that can only be found in a personal relationship with the living Christ.

We turn on the news at any time of day and it isn’t good. More murders, more abuse, more immorality, more robberies. Darkness abounds. The world shouts, “we need more education, we need more tolerance for each other’s differences, we need to take away the knives, take away the guns.” The world, whose eyesight has grown accustomed the the darkness, refuses to consider the Light. The Light of God’s truth blinds them and offends them because it makes them see themselves as they really are — naked in futile attempts to be their own gods, when only God’s righteousness is available to clothe us in righteousness for eternity.

The answer to the world’s darkness is not the absence of a weapon in the hand; it’s the presence of God in the heart. Jesus Himself said in Luke 5:31-32, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do. I have come to call, not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Jesus is the Light of this world, to guide us through the darkness, to give us hope in times of despair, to show us the way when paths seems dangerous, to be our lasting joy in a sea of humanity seeking happiness in temporal pleasures. The delights of this world pale in the Light of what Jesus has to offer.

Eternal bliss, forgiveness of everything wrong we have ever done, joy and peace immeasurable, are all ours for the taking. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) If you haven’t called out to Him, I hope today may be the first best day of the rest of your eternal life. We may now be in the winter of our discontent as the writer, John Steinbeck wrote, but eternal seasons of satisfaction and joy is fast on the way. The days of darkness will soon be over. The Light of the World is coming to sit on His throne.