The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. (NRSV)
Isaiah 9:2
When I return home in the darkness of night and inch toward my bedroom, I am guided by a soft light, usually the moonlight as it streams in from a window left open at the start of the day. Carefully I proceed ahead, hoping that by that light, I can find the switch that will allow a brighter light to shine. As I move closer to the goal, I stumble along the way; I bump my knees on the edges of tables, knock my hands against bed posts, and trip over shoes left in the middle of the room. Yet somehow, I make it to my destination.
The light is turned on and I clearly see all.
At times, my life is this way. When I left a teaching position at an Archdiocese of Washington, DC, catholic school, I was in the dark, guided only by the hope and promise of God that he had something else in store for me. With his word as a light in the darkness, I stumbled around for several months during the summer, until a new opportunity presented itself and God’s plan for me became a little more illuminated.
In the time of the prophet Isaiah, the people of Judah were dealing with uncertainty, a bleak outlook and future. However, Isaiah prophesied that those who may find themselves in darkness can hope and believe that the light of God still shines.
In times when it appears your life is surrounded by darkness, hope and trust that the light of God is forever present, still shining and pointing you toward him and a way through the darkness.