From darkness to light ∙∙
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. – Isaiah 9:2
Ephesians 5:8 You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So live as people of light!
Emerging from Darkness into Light.
Darkness has always presented a unique challenge for humanity. While fire, oil lamps, and gas lights offered some illumination, their dim, unreliable, and often hazardous light left much to be desired. Nights remained cloaked in shadows, hindering progress and innovation. Then came a breakthrough that would change everything: the electric light bulb.
Thomas Edison was a pioneering inventor who created a variety of devices that transformed everyday life, including the phonograph and the motion picture camera. However, his most significant contribution was the practical, long-lasting electric light bulb. This invention not only lit up rooms but also paved the way for an industrialized world, eliminating the endless fear and limitations associated with darkness.
Edison’s achievement was not the result of luck or a single burst of genius; it was a product of relentless persistence. Through countless experiments and painstaking trial and error, he discovered that a thin filament with high electrical resistance could make the light bulb efficient. This filament required only a small current to emit a glow, making it both practical and revolutionary. When Edison demonstrated his invention in December 1879, the notion of nighttime as the world knew it changed forever.
“I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps. I know of over 3000 ways that a light bulb does not work,” Edison said. His resolve and systematic approach remind us that the most significant transformations occur when we refuse to surrender to darkness—even in the face of failure.
Night, once a formidable barrier, has been transformed into an extension of day through the advances of Edison’s invention. However, this light is not the only kind that humanity needs. What about the darkness within—the dark night of the soul or the moral darkness in the world? How do we confront this deeper shadow, and how can we turn such internal blackness into light?
The Light That Transforms
Just as Edison’s light bulb dispelled physical darkness, the Father has provided a different kind of light—one that penetrates the moral and spiritual darkness of the human soul. This light not only illuminates our surroundings but also transforms the very core of our being. We no longer have to stumble through life, lost and blind. The offer of divine light has come to humanity, capable of turning the shadow of our internal night into day.
However, there is a tragic reality: many people reject this light and instead cling to the shadows of spiritual and moral darkness. They convince themselves that their chosen path is well-lit while refusing to embrace the true illumination that reveals their actions, their hearts, and ultimately, their need for transformation.
“Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” – John 3:19-20
This is the essence of humanity’s struggle. The decision to walk in darkness often stems not from ignorance but from fear—the fear that light will reveal the truth about us. Yet, such revelation is not meant to destroy us but to guide us toward redemption.
Choosing Light
True moral and spiritual light does not waver or dim. It is found in the Father’s presence, a light capable of lifting us out of the deepest darkness. He invites us to step into that light, to leave behind the shadows of fear, sin, and self-deception.
“Those who are in darkness must grope through life without the light of God’s revelation,” writes Hoehner. Without this revelation, we are bound to stumble through the hidden pitfalls of life, never experiencing the fullness of joy, peace, or purpose the Father offers.
But for those who take the hand of the Father and walk in His light, everything changes. Just as Edison’s invention shattered the limitations of the physical night, God’s light has the power to erase the weight of moral darkness, replacing it with clarity, purpose, and hope.
The choice is ours. Will we remain in the dim, fleeting illusions of self-made lights, or will we step boldly into the eternal light of transformation? Humanity no longer has to dwell in shadows—neither physical nor spiritual. The light has come. Will you embrace it?
REFLECT & PRAY
“I am the Light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:12
Father, thank You for rescuing me from the grip of spiritual and moral darkness. I rejoice in the truth that I am now a child of the light. Strengthen and encourage me to live out this identity and reflect Your glory in everything I do.
INSIGHT
“God is light” (1 John 1:5). This powerful truth conveys the Father’s majesty, glory, and perfect holiness. He is the ultimate source of wisdom, purity, and truth. But His light is more than an abstract quality—it represents His desire to reveal Himself to humanity (Psalms 43:3).
In contrast, darkness symbolizes the absence of God’s glory and holiness. It represents a separation from the Father, a void in which humanity flounders, for those who live apart from God’s light unaware of the truth and hindered by sin. For those who live apart from God’s light, darkness is not merely an external reality; it is also an internal condition.
But then something extraordinary happened. Into a darkened world stepped the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing light to burst the chains of darkness and to offer transformation for everyone. He not only brought light; He is “the light of the world.”
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” – John 1:5
Jesus didn’t merely come to expose darkness—He came to overcome it. His arrival marked a turning point in human history, ushering in the chance for every person to leave behind spiritual darkness and be reborn into God’s eternal light.
Transferred from Darkness to Light
The moment we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, an incredible transformation begins. Scripture describes it as being transferred—taken from the domain of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of His marvelous light.
“For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.” – Colossians 1:13
This transformation goes beyond geography; it’s a change in identity. We were not merely in darkness or surrounded by it—the darkness was within us. It shaped our thoughts, governed our actions, and influenced our souls. Paul’s words go further, describing the stark reality of our former condition.
“For once, you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” – Ephesians 5:8
The Father’s intervention in our lives is akin to a spiritual cure for a life-threatening illness. Consider the analogy of sepsis—a medical condition where an infection spreads throughout the body, unleashing a cascade of damage capable of causing organ failure and death. Without immediate treatment, sepsis is fatal (CDC).
Similarly, moral and spiritual darkness is a life-threatening spiritual emergency. It infects everything it touches, distorting truth, eroding hope, and leading to spiritual death. Yet the Father, in His loving mercy, stepped in with an ultimate cure.
Through Christ, this infection of darkness is eradicated. We are not only healed—we are reborn. Those who once were darkness now are light. The transformation is complete.
Living as Children of Light
The privilege of being called children of the light carries both joy and responsibility. Grace is a gift freely given, but it also calls us to live differently. Stepping into the Father’s light means rejecting the shadows of our old lives. It means walking in truth, radiating His love, and becoming reflections of His glory to a world still struggling in darkness.
“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” – Ephesians 5:8
To live as children of the light is not to earn grace but to respond to it. It is to proclaim through our actions that the darkness no longer holds us. The Father’s grace calls us forward—not to dwell on what we’ve been rescued from but to honor and glorify the One who brought us into light.
The Lord Jesus Christ’s light is not dim nor fleeting—it is constant and eternal. And just as He called, “Follow Me,” He continues to call today. His light shines not only to illuminate our paths but to guide others to the Father through us.
Live boldly as a child of the light. Walk in truth, in love, and His unshakable hope. Shine as a beacon in a world still searching for the light that leads to life.
¯_(ツ)_/¯ 6-16-2
© Dr. H 2025
Dr H Reflections 