Christmas in a Season of StruggleSample

Now We Know What God Is Like

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46 (NLT)

What are you confused about? Maybe today your mind feels muddled about your future, a relationship, your finances, or your health. Whatever is causing you confusion, you need to shine God’s light on it.

Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:46 NLT).

Even though you may not have all the answers or don’t fully understand what’s going on, God never meant for you to be in the dark about yourself and your life. Most of all, he doesn’t want you to be in the dark about who he is. Jesus Christ came to earth to show us what God is really like.

We can’t relate to an impersonal force in the sky. That’s why God came to earth in human form—so we can understand what he’s like.

Why is that important? Because a lot of your fears and worries and problems are caused by being in the dark about who God is. But when you know what God is like, then you worry a lot less and are a lot less stressed.

When you don’t know what God’s like, you tend to avoid him. You’re more likely to be afraid of him. You don’t bring your problems to him and instead try to solve them yourself. You can’t love and trust somebody you don’t know!

People often say, “My idea of God is . . .” That means they’re just guessing what God is like. But when it comes to knowing God, we don’t need guesses. We need the truth.

Jesus said in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (NLT).

Because of Christmas, we have seen what God is like. We know the truth about who God is because Jesus came into the world the same way all of us came into the world: by being born.

There are some things about God you would never know unless he became a human. How do you know that God is loving or forgiving or eternal? Because Jesus told us, and he showed us by the way he lived his life.

You don’t have to live in the dark anymore. Jesus came at Christmas to shine a light into every part of your life so you can live in freedom, clarity, and joy.

This devotional © 2024 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.