3:338 – In The Blackest Night

#faithbites #faithjourney blackest

Setting

Yesterday was a bad day. It was one in which I felt broken and had nothing left to give. Today is a better day! Some sleep, some rest, and some help does a world of good. Today, when I woke up, I had “Over at the Frankenstein Place” in my head from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The opening line is, “In the velvet darkness of the blackest night / Burning bright, there’s a guiding star”. Now, I’m pretty sure when this was written, they weren’t thinking about Jesus as that guiding star. If you’ve seen the movie or watched the play, you may agree. Anyway.

We all have been in the blackest night. Those days when nothing is going right, when we feel like we are junk, and that there is no way that anyone, let alone God loves us. The fact is, we couldn’t be farther from the truth. There is a guiding star in the blackest night and it is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Scripture

• Matthew 2:2 – Saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
• Matthew 2:10 – When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
• Matthew 5:14-16 – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Reflection

We can’t avoid the darkness as it is part of our lives. What we can choose to do is follow the star, the light of the world, Jesus Christ. The light of Jesus, can not be hidden, dampened, or snuffed out. Because of his divine nature and because of his sacrifice we will always have a guiding star in the darkness.

As I write this, I was reflecting on how all of these verses and even this message relate to Christmas time. It wasn’t my intent to tie it to the season, but God has a plan. The entire season of Advent is waiting for Christ to be born, for that star to appear. We know he is there always, even though we may be waiting for a sign. All we need to do is follow that never-ending, eternal light.

Challenge

Are you in a dark night? Are you having trouble finding the light? Rest assured, Jesus is there and shinning bright. He wants you to find him and he is ready. All you have to do is call out to him. He will guide you into the light.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for being our light, our star, and guiding us out of the blackest night. It is hard for us to see the star when all we see is darkness. Pierce that veil. Let us see the light and the warmth that only you can provide. Guide us, help us, and help us to help others finds your light. In your name, Amen.