Kingdom of Light New Year’s Eve (31st December) Read: Colossians 1:9-14 “… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:12 (NIV)

It is New Year’s Eve. What are you doing tonight to celebrate the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new year? Last year my family walked down to the Noosa River, with hundreds of others and watched the fireworks burst over the Tewantin Marina. To get to the river we had to walk along some unlit paths through the nearby bush. It was dark! We took torches, but one of our sons said to not put them on and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. It is amazing how eyes do adjust to try to take in as much outside light as they can. The above verse talks of the Kingdom of Light, and the opposite is mentioned in the next verse as the “…dominion of darkness”.

Paul in Colossians tells the believers in Colossae that through their learning and knowledge of Jesus they are being brought from darkness into the kingdom of God’s light. It is here that they will find forgiveness, love, acceptance and all the promises of salvation. In Jesus coming to earth, God sent His love through His only Son. He gave His Son to the world and allowed Jesus to live and become a human. (We celebrated His birth to a human family at Christmas). In Jesus living in the world, He became one of us, but He never let the darkness of sin be a part of His life. He was God’s Son, holy and righteous.

But our sin affected Him in then choosing to die for us and our salvation that we may live in the light. Jesus took the darkness of the world (the dominion of darkness) away from us. He made us clean so that we now live only in the light of God’s love. Sometimes we may feel that we can’t see God, or that the darkness around us is too dark. Let your eyes adjust and pray for God’s light to show the way – God’s light can shine through any and all darkness. The Kingdom of light is where I want to be.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for not allowing me to stumble in the darkness, but that you bring light and love into my heart and life. Let me shine that light out brightly so others can also find their way. Amen

Candlelit Candelabra 30th December Read: Ephesians 5:8-14 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light…” Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

In 1991 I spent five months nannying for two children in Monmouth, Wales. I went from teaching year five in Mt Barker to looking after a 3 ½ year old and nine-month-old. They were children needing a lot of love and attention and I had them from 7am to 7pm, six days a week. The family was very generous, and I was invited to all family occasions. It was an old house, couple hundred years old, with six bathrooms, many bedrooms and a round staircase complete with a ghost I was told. For special occasions dinner was held in a total electricity-free dining room only lit by a large suspended candlelit candelabra. It was magical with the play between the darkness and the light cast by the candles. Before electricity, candles and oil lamps were needed to produce light in the darkness. If attention was not taken to keeping the candles lit and the oil filled, you could find yourself in darkness.

Darkness is sneaky and tends to sneak up on the unsuspecting. The vigilant housekeeper in Monmouth oversaw keeping the candles lit. If the candelabra went out, candles on the table needed to be lit. Darkness is scary, and to be in the dark without a Saviour is even worse. In the Ephesians text in verse 9, we are told what the fruits are to be in our lives for living in the light: goodness, righteousness and truth. Paul tells us in the Bible passage that we are to not live in the darkness, for many sinful things are done in the dark. Rather we are to expose the evil and repent and bring it all into the light of God’s love and forgiveness where everything is visible.

God wants us to be His children who live in His light; knowing a loving, compassionate Father that we can come to at any time and be assured that we will be heard and forgiven. So, be open with your relationship with Jesus – tell Him all and don’t let the darkness sneak up. Be enlightened and live in the Light! Prayer: With you, my Saviour, there is no darkness, only light. Help me to be vigilant to keep my light burning and not let the darkness creep into my life. Guide me in your way! Amen

Shining God’s Light 29th December Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

“In the beginning there was nothing, God said ‘Let there be light!’ There was still nothing, but now you could see it.” When on a Lutheran Youth Encounter Team in America, our team often had to lead ‘lock-ins’ – overnight youth sleepover in a church where they were locked in. There were games, pizza, study and discussion and a little bit of sleep! One of the favourite games for a lock-in was ‘Sardines’. One person went to hide, and everyone had to find them. When they were found, they had to hide with them, and it kept going until the last person found the whole group trying to hide in the same place all squished together. Torches were not allowed, and we had to keep very quiet. 10-15 people squished in one hiding spot were usually found – the noise was enough.

The faces of the youth shone with laughter and joy, and we had to allow time for our eyes to adjust to the light after being in darkness for so long. I enjoyed these games and the time to talk. Many times, there were some in the group who did not know who Jesus was, and spending time together grew the friendships and by the end you could see the light of the knowledge of Jesus shining in their eyes.

When we know Jesus and the saving love of our Lord and Saviour our face shows the glory of God. It shines brightly. There are many in the world living in darkness without knowing about Jesus. God said: ‘Let there be light’. We can relate this to let there be light in our lives and hearts enough that we shine out His glory. Sometimes it is much easier to hide especially in a group and not tell others about our faith. We hide in the dark with the others even though we know the truth about Jesus. Maybe it is time to find all those ‘lost’ in the dark and bring them into the light of Jesus.

We won’t need a torch – our face will show enough light! Hiding in the dark can be fun, but enjoying Jesus’ light in community is better! Prayer: Lord Jesus, let my face show and shine out to others the knowledge and love I have in you. Help me not to hide my light in dark places, but to shine it out for all to see. Amen