Christmas in a Season of StruggleSample

You Need a More Powerful Light

“I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” John 8:12 (TLB)

We all have dark days. There are dark days of disappointment when your dreams crumble and your plans fall apart. There are dark days when you’re stressed out by finances or relationships, dark days of disease and divorce and losing a loved one.

If you’re in those dark days, then you need a guiding light.

When we have a problem we can’t control, we don’t typically turn to God. Instead, we decide we’ll figure it out on our own. We go back in the recesses of our mind to an emotional chest of drawers and pull out all kinds of little flashlights.

We pull out the flashlight that says “Relationships” and start shining it on our life. We think if we could just get married or have kids or if our kids would grow up and go off to college, then our life would be great.

When that doesn’t work, we pull out another flashlight that says “Job/Career.” If we could just change jobs, then everything would be right again. But that doesn’t work either.

So we try the “Sex” or “Money” or “Self-help” flashlights, hoping to make our way clearer.

And when that doesn’t work, we pull out another flashlight that says “Location.” If we could just move to another state or wherever, then things would get better. But then we realize that when we move to another location, we take all of our problems with us—because the biggest problem is inside us.

We don’t need a flashlight. We need the Light. We need the Light of the world, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not some puny little flashlight. He is a searchlight! He is a giant, powerful light that lets you see five miles down the road.

In your dark days, don’t put your trust in the flashlights that depend on your own power. Just flip the switch that turns on God’s light in your life—in other words, have faith. When you tell God that you don’t know which way to go and that you’re feeling unsure and confused, but that you’re going to trust him anyway, that’s faith.

Ask Jesus to help you to trust him, and he will.

The Living Bible Paraphrase says, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path” (John 8:12).

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