Tag: Jesus the light

Devotionals

Walk not in darkness, but in the light           

Loring Schultz

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘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…..I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.’” (John 8:12, 12:46 NLT)

Three people wearing parkas walking on a snowy street in Utqiaġvik with houses and streetlights in the background.
Three people warmly dressed walk down a snowy street in Utqiaġvik at dusk.

Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska is the northern most city in United States. Located within the Arctic circle, 1,300 miles south of the North Pole, Utqiagvik is the largest city in the North Slope borough of the state near Point Barrow the most northern point. Due to its geography Utqiagvik experiences six months daylight in spring and summer and six months darkness in fall and winter, although not complete darkness. On May 10th  of this year Utqiagvik saw its last sunrise until August 2nd. Sunlight will be visible 24/7 for three months. The reverse is true when the sun sets on November 18th for last time until January 23rd. That is a lot of cold dark nights.

 The residents of this northern Alaska town walk in darkness or light depending on the season. The dark season does bring with it bits of depression among the people longing for the sun to reappear. It happens frequently in other parts of the world during dark, snowy, or rainy days. Now, imagine several months of it. But the sun does reappear in Utqiagvik right on time as the God of creation planned it. Utqiagvik is in a temporary period darkness for a time and then the light appears.

The rest of us in the world, unlike the people of northern Alaska 300 miles inside the Arctic circle, are living within a dark, sinful, broken world 365 days of the year. People are longing for better days, for a bright future, for peace on earth, and for the veil of darkness to be removed for the light to enter. There is a longing to walk in the light. That longing can be fulfilled. Jesus said He is the light of the world. “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” (Jn.12:46 nlt) Walk not in darkness but trust in Jesus, the light that remains forever.