Walk Run Soar: Discovering God's Presence on Life's Trail Sýnishorn

Light in Our Darkness

Read John 1:6-8

My feet hug the arch of the Winchell Cove Trail in the morning when air is still cool. I have run this trail in many seasons. It’s a place of respite for me—a marker—a place I come full circle. 

In July, the grasses are like straw, scratching at my ankles. The soft, rolling green hills of spring have given way to a dusty summer path. We are all parched, thirsty in this season—even the trees and the fauna bend toward the water.

I round the corner looking for it—a sliver of hope. My eyes are drawn to the light—the light of hope even in this fallow season. The reflection of that light cartwheels across the water reminding me that even when I’m overwhelmed or discouraged, I must always lift my eyes and look for the Light.

John was the friend and forerunner of Jesus Christ. He was born the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, who were cousins to Jesus’s mother, Mary. John came as a messenger to speak truth and point others to Jesus, who was the Light of the World.  The angel Gabriel described John to his daddy, Zechariah, this way: “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:13). Talk about a cool vision for your son’s future!

A forerunner is a person who runs ahead or precedes the coming of someone else important. He or she serves as a sign or warning, a precursor of something great to come. In distance races, the person who leads and sets the pace for the first section of runners is informally called the rabbit. John was like the rabbit, leading the way to light a path for his cousin and savior, Jesus.

John and his personal mission were prophesied in Malachi 3:1, four hundred years before his birth. Like the prophets of old, John’s life pointed to the Savior, but he had the added benefit of seeing Jesus face-to-face and walking with Him as a disciple.

Friend, may we be like John—always pointing to the Light, always speaking truth about the Light, always leading others to chase after His glorious light even on dark and heavy days. 

FAITH STEP: Think about ways that you might be a light to others around you and point them to Jesus. Reach out to someone today through a text, a phone call, or a card. Encourage them with a Scripture. Tell them a specific story of how Jesus has been the light for you.