“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

“In our gloom and despair, we fear that our sorrows and troubles will never end. But we can take comfort in this certainty: although the Lord may not always take us around our troubles, if we follow him wholeheartedly, he will lead us safely through them.” – From the Zondervan, NIV Life Application Study Bible.

It’s easy to understand why so many ancient civilizations worshipped the sun. It sets the length of our days and was a primary method of telling time for centuries. The sun’s energy and light heats the earth and provides different seasons of temperatures as we orbit around it. Even our own physical and mental health can be traced back to how much sunlight an individual gets. The sun, and all the impressive physics surrounding it, is a marvel of our Lord’s creation. So yes it is an extraordinary part of our existence, however we also know that it is just another created entity, with no more power than that which God created it to have. As Christians we don’t worship the sun, but we can still appreciate the analogous connection between God and the light. In today’s verse, Isaiah prophesizes that those “in the darkness” will see the “great light.” For Christians, we know this prophesy has come true already through Jesus. The light lit by Christ Jesus has remained for over 2,000 years. Jesus walked the earth and completed God’s mission providing hope for all those who have believed in Him. Today we live in the new covenant secured for us by Jesus. The great light has done the work on earth, and now lights our path from His rightful place in heaven. “A light has dawned,” we are no longer in the dark. Jesus has lit the path towards salvation.