The Darkest Day Making Way for the Perfect Light

This week we’ll celebrate Christmas, in all its splendor and in all its glory!

I oftentimes think about what it must have been like to hear the heavenly host of angels singing…

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14, ESV)

December 21st marks the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, and every year on that day, just a mere four days before Christmas, I can’t help but think of what it must have felt like just before the Messiah was born, just before the promise was fulfilled, just before the very light of world made his appearance on earth.

I would hope my response would be like that of the heavenly host, praising God for a light that would not only diminish the darkness, but extinguish it forever…

December 21st.

The darkest day of the year.

The day that declares

Winter is officially here.

Darker days

Coupled with cooler weather

Ushering in

The Light of the World,

Our greatest treasure.

In the beginning

And still to this day,

God’s light continues

To make a way.

When He made the world

And when saved it,

In the dark of night

By His power and might,

God said,

“LET THERE BE LIGHT!”

And it was good.

And it’s still good today.

Even in the hard times,

The dark times,

It’s making a way.

Jesus is the light

And He shines brighter

Against the backdrop

Of a cold, dark world.

Winter may be here,

And the world full of fear,

But that darkness and despair

Only highlight

The HOPE of LIGHT and LOVE

Given for us.

An innocent babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes.

A vulnerable world

wrapped in His unending love.

The darkest night

Wrapped in His perfect light.

Pure and holy.

Blameless and true.

A winter welcoming warmth

For me and you.

“We Three Kings.” A song we know well, so well, in fact, we know it’s not entirely based upon fact. Three wisemen? Nah. There were likely more, but we assign three to the three gifts scripture mentions they gave to Jesus.

They also did not arrive the night of Jesus’ birth, at the stable, giving those gifts to a baby in a manger.

Still they sought Him. They found Him, and this line in the song was their heart’s cry and should be ours as well...

“Guide us to thy perfect light.”

The wisemen were following a star. They were magicians/astrologers, in other words, “worldly wisemen,” and yet they longed for true wisdom in it’s purest form.

By the light of a star, they longed to be guided to “thy perfect light” — a light that would pierce the darkness of this world, a light that would finally fill the dark void left by constantly seeking but never reaching.

Nothing will ever satisfy that longing for “more” — no wisdom or wealth or well being.

Only thy perfect light illuminates the way to life everlasting, strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.

Jesus is the perfect light of the world, given for us. Emmanuel. God with us. He gives us wisdom beyond our wisest worldly wonder.

Pure light.

True wisdom.

Here.

Now and Forever.

Even on

the darkest day of winter.