Hurting With Hope - From Levi LuskoSample

Day 1: Turn Off the Dark

One thing all people have in common is a desire to be happy. 

God wired human beings with a desire for joy and fulfillment. Have you ever met someone who hasn’t pursued happiness? Me neither. But it doesn’t take long to realize this world is filled with pitfalls that derail happiness. Evidence of darkness is everywhere we look, and we even see it in our own lives. Maybe you struggle with loneliness, fear, despair, or guilt. Deep down we know things aren’t the way they are supposed to be, but we  don't know how to fix it. Thankfully, In His mercy, God sent light into the darkness. 

The opening verses in John’s Gospel are known as the prologue and this passage is one of the most informative accounts of Jesus’s coming. Right away, the apostle John reveals that Jesus is more than a teacher or a prophet—Jesus is God (John 1:1; 14) and the source of all light.

Jesus doesn’t just shine light. He also turns off the darkness. In Scripture, the words "light" and "life" are often referred to as the opposite of "death" and "darkness." Metaphorically, death and darkness refer to sin and its effects on the world. Jesus came to shine light in the darkness—and to turn off the dark. Since Jesus is all-powerful, He could’ve done this in any manner of His choosing. Certainly, Jesus could’ve shined His light from a distance, and it would’ve been powerful enough to reach us, but that’s not what He did. 

Jesus entered into this dark world because He wanted to be with us. He isn’t a distant God who is aloof—Jesus willingly took on flesh. In doing so, Jesus entered into our pain and suffering with the intention of being present with us and shining a light in the dark cracks and crevices of our lives.

In what areas do you need Jesus to “Turn Off the Dark?”