God Speaking

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

As a little girl I was always afraid of the dark and in those days, of course, there were no night lights for children. Even now if I close my eyes I am transported back to my Grandmother’s house where I loved to stay, except for that long dark corridor that led from the bedroom where I slept, to the bathroom. What if I needed to go there in the middle of the night? What if I needed my Grandmother if I had a bad dream, as she also slept at the end of that scary corridor? I always thought of darkness as something very frightening.

Darkness in our lives is not just a scary, dark corridor. It can take on many forms in our lives. Depression/ broken relationships/addiction/ grief/ failure/ fear itself.

Fear of darkness is not unusual, but the darkness that swept over the land on that first Good Friday was unexpected and terrifying! Light was banished for three hours while our Saviour carried the sins of the whole world.

“It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining…” (Luke 23:44 – 45)

Creation mourned!

But wait! Light was now streaming from a most unusual place… The heavy curtain dividing the Holy of Holies had been ripped in two.

“…And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” (Luke 27:45)

Jesus’ death had given us access to the ear of the Father.

This first glimpse of light was just a fore runner of the glorious light yet to come. Death and darkness had been defeated.

Jesus had already told his disciples that he was “the Light of the world” and even the darkness of the crucifixion was unable to extinguish that light.

The good news of Good Friday, midst the suffering / pain / and horror was that the chink of light streaming through the ripped curtain was to explode into glorious all-encompassing light, when darkness would be defeated by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

When darkness brings shadows, whatever they may be, into our lives, we need to remember the promise, brought to fulfillment in the cross that we can banish the darkness by walking in the Saviour’s light. He is sufficient for all as this lovely song proclaims

You Are My All In All

You are my strength when I am weak

You are the treasure that I seek

You are my all in all

Lord to give up I’d be a fool

You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God

Holy is your name

Jesus Lamb of God

You are my all in all

Taking my cross, my sin, my shame

You are my all in all

When I fall down you pick me up

When I run dry, you fill me up

You are my all in all.