As I write this, it’s cold and wet outside. The cloudy grey sky will get dark in a couple hours. The winters can feel long with the limited amount of light. It reminds me of the gift that light is. God uses this image of light and darkness in the Bible. He knows the physical and emotional affects that light and darkness have on us. I think that’s one of the reason why the description of Jesus being the light of the world is so powerful. 

One of my favorite verses is Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1:78-79. “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” This is such a beautiful description of why Jesus came. He is the light of heaven breaking in. His purpose was and is to give light to those in darkness and to guide us to the path of peace. 

Peace. That has to be one of the most valuable words in our vocabulary. For the lady in my church whose body is slowly dying, her and I prayed for peace this morning. For my friend who just found out her mom has stage 3 cancer, we are asking God for peace. For family strife, I am praying for God to calm my spirit and give me peace. As I help my children navigate a new school, I pray for them to have peace. As I interact with those who don’t know God, I am praying that they would want to walk God’s path of peace that is made possible through Jesus. He came to give “light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” This is true for those to whom we are ministering, and it’s true for us today too. God wants to give you His peace in each situation. He wants to guide you in His path of peace. Take a moment to take a deep breath and ask for His peace to guard your heart and mind today.