Light in the Darkness

Love is light. It's a lamp in a dark room. It's a fire in one's bosom. It's a city standing on top of a mountain. Love cannot be hidden. It shines for everyone. Light shining in the dark hours is visible from afar. It attracts the attention of various insects that gladly fly to this source. If in cold weather, when everything around is covered with ice and snow, I see the light of a burning fire, I also want to approach it and warm up. But I understand that this is all temporary. However, the fire in the home fireplace attracts me with its long-term warmth and comfort, which can be associated with a delicious dinner, a calm home atmosphere, and a soft bed for guests. And if there is such a fire in my house, then I have a long-term perspective of not freezing in the darkness of winter and inviting other people to my comfort, offering them what I enjoy myself.

I often observed the following picture.

I lift a paving stone, and underneath it live various bugs. And at the sight of light, they begin to panic and scatter in different directions, seeking a dark shelter. And they do it so quickly that after a short time, no one remains in the open space. A similar situation occurs every time I lift another tile under which there is life. Not once have I met bugs that would rejoice at unexpected light and call all neighbors to it.

Our world lies in spiritual darkness. And people are used to this state. They have learned to navigate in the dark, developed different behavioral strategies and forms of life, invented all kinds of teachings and religions, arranged their dwellings, and built many shelters in case of light. People are born in darkness, live in darkness, and die in darkness. And when light comes, everyone sees it, but not everyone goes to it, not everyone accepts it.

And light has a peculiarity - to shine. It cannot be darkness.

Love is the sun of righteousness, the truth about God's character and God's attitude towards people.

The world has found a substitute and created a semblance of this love - pink hearts. They can be found everywhere, they can be had in one's life, they can be experienced, and many songs, smart books, and scientific studies can be written about them. But they will remain pink hearts, making this world pink and decorating life with a pink color.

The peculiarity of God's light is that it has all spectra of the color gamut in itself and in the totality of these shades creates a complete picture and presents the true state of things when it illuminates them. Love illuminates everything around itself, but most of all it cares about the purity of the one through whom it is reflected into this world.

When I accept love, its first task is to cleanse my heart and every corner of my mind from all impurity, making me suitable for transmitting true light.

The first thing I encounter from the world is fear of light, desire to hide, striving to neutralize my source. At best, the world shows persistent indifference or malicious silence, at worst - aggression.

Only a few go to the light, and very few accept it. But for the sake of these few, love tirelessly works day and night, wanting to save everyone. And it finds these people.

Love sees very well all who thirst for it. It does not leave these souls in darkness but brings them to the source of light and teaches them independent life in the light.

Love sows seeds and builds new roads. It lifts old paving stones and observes the same picture day after day. But it continues to work, seeking those who will accept it, who will fill their vessel with it to fix their lamp.

And if for someone love is darkness, then what is darkness?

But the thicker the darkness, the brighter the stars shine, and the better any source of light is visible.

The fire in the lamp is my good deeds, my love for people, my readiness to serve, my prayer life with God, my knowledge of Biblical truths embodied in life. Everywhere I appear, I am recognized. Even when I'm silent, the light of my lamp shines to this world, and it cannot be hidden. We are special people, a special nation.

The world has a huge deficit of unconditional love, lack of embraces, kind words, selfless friendship. And all this is given to us in abundance so that we can be light.

But it's always worth remembering that I am not light and not fire, but only a channel through which the Lord can transmit this to the world or reflect His radiance. The moon, although called a night luminary, has no source of its own. At the same time, it reflects sunlight very well, and in Eternity, it will shine seven times brighter. And our Eternity has already begun, so there's no need to be afraid of being brighter lights.

Darkness cannot overcome light. It simply disappears.

Walking in the light is safer because you can see where you're going, noticing everything. When you light a match, it also gives light and warmth, albeit for a short time. Its glow is like pink hearts, which are very beautiful, which give momentary pleasure and end, burning forever.

The light of a lighter can be more prolonged, but it is also limited by the volume of the lighter, and it is not able to warm someone and bring comfort and warmth to a cold room. It's like a big pink heart that, like a soap bubble, looks very important, but at any moment can burst and cease to exist.

God's light is like the sun. It always shines, regardless of the weather in my region. It can be obscured by clouds, one can hide from it, but it will never go out. The sun has the power to illuminate and warm everything that falls under its rays. I am not the sun, but I can successfully reflect it when I allow it to shine on me. During the day, being in its rays, I am visible to everyone, and at night I can shine only using the reserves of this light. And the thicker the darkness, the more visible my light. The Lord in me will become an inexhaustible Source of fire, combining His oil and my lamp into a source of light transmission to this dark world.

My love will not end even when the passions of the world are set free, when the elements of sin begin to destroy unfortunate souls, when God's judgments are poured out on the Earth, and the whole world is perishing in darkness. And my lamp will not stop burning, burning brightly, that's what a lamp is for, to shine.

Now the lamp offers prospects and opportunities, and then it will only show what people could have had but did not want. What a pity! But love respects human choice and with sadness leaves those who rejected it forever, although it does not stop shining, but already without any hope for the world, with special significance for the owners of burning lamps.

What will I decide to change in my life now, understanding all these truths? Having the opportunity to buy oil, to light a fire, will I take advantage of this advantage today? Why put it off until tomorrow? Why leave with nothing? If I leave Christ once without buying anything, then it will become easier to repeat this, and then such behavior will become a habit, and I will decide that all these lessons are not for me. I will somehow save myself. My lighter will be enough to shine. God probably has another plan in store for me.

So do you want to meet Jesus? Maybe it's worth accepting now what He advises me? Shall we try?

Questions for reflection on this chapter:

1. Please read John 1:1-10; Genesis 1:5; Deuteronomy 28:29; Psalm 139:11-12; Proverbs 4:19; Amos 5:18-20; Micah 3:6; Luke 11:34-36; John 12:35-36; Ephesians 5:6-9; 1 John 2:8-11 in light of this chapter.

2. What did you understand from this chapter?

3. Is the expression "pink heart" clear to you? What is it in light of this chapter?

4. Can matches be used to heat a room so that it's always warm? Can conditional love melt someone's heart so that it warms up and ignites?

5. What is the difference between the power of the Sun and the warmth of a lighter? Do you see the difference?

6. Do you understand the power of agape love that the Lord gives to His children?

7. Why can't I be Love, but at the same time can successfully reflect it?

8. Is God interested in me being His reflection to this world and reflecting His love and purity of character?

9. What will happen to me if I prefer to postpone God's offers and advice for later?

10. Should my lamp always burn, or should it be lit only when necessary?

11. Do you think a person who has a lamp can identify and recognize those who have the same lamps?

12. Are the symbols we are studying clear to you?

13. Tell me, how do you understand the symbols of the lamp, oil, and light in your life?

14. Does the near Coming of Christ make you happy?

15. Are you interested in continuing our research?