Do you love Christmas lights? I do! Each year we visit lighted neighborhoods, take in holiday light shows, and of course, light our own Christmas tree.

As we decorated our tree today, we listened to Christmas carols.  Bing Crosby sang, “Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light” and I began to think about the concept of light in the Scripture.

Look what Isaiah says as he prophesies about the last days …

the house of the Lord
       established as the highest of mountains
                    lifted up above the hills
ALL nations will stream to it
             God will judge
    there will be no more injustice!

And then Isaiah urges us … come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Later in his book, in the iconic Christmas passage, Isaiah tells us a light has dawned …

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned. …
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
(Isaiah 9:2, 6)

Christmas carols continue … “Light and life to all he brings, Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!“

This child we celebrate said of himself some 30 years later, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

But He doesn’t stop there … it’s not just that He’s the light of the world!  He says .. You (meaning us – you and me) we are the light of the world as well!  The Apostle Paul explains it this way, “For God … made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

God’s glory, His light, shining in our hearts, gives light … it lights the darkness around us.

May we not hide the light but gladly let it shine … to bring glory to God!