Advent Devotion – A Light Shines in the Darkness – Day 18
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
2 Peter 1:19
Pay Attention
When was the last time you were in complete darkness? A power outage? A dark basement? Driving on a country road after a wrong turn? The wee hours of a sleepless night? These experiences help us understand why Peter urges us to “pay attention… as to a light shining in a dark place.”
- Light gives direction. In the dark, you can’t see where you’re going or whether you’re on the right path. A light helps you reach your destination.
- Light brings safety. Darkness hides dangers like tripping hazards or harmful people. Paying attention to the light helps you avoid what could harm you.
- Light gives hope. Darkness can feel overwhelming, lonely, or endless. Even a small light reminds you that the darkness won’t last forever.
- Light reveals truth. Darkness casts shadows, leaving our imagination to guess what’s there. Light exposes everything for what it truly is.
We pay attention to light in the dark not because the light is the end goal, but because it helps us navigate safely, truthfully, and hopefully until the full day arrives.
This is exactly what Peter wanted his readers to understand. As new Christians navigating life in a secular world, harmful messages were plunging them into darkness. They were “forgetting their new identity in Christ and failing to live like Christians. They were losing their confidence in the divine authority of Scripture. They were becoming too relaxed about the threat of false teachers. And they were too concerned with the here and now and not nearly mindful enough of the coming great Judgment” (The People’s Bible, James, Peter, John, Jude). They needed Peter’s clear directive to pay attention to the prophetic message of God’s Word in order to navigate safely, truthfully, and hopefully until Jesus returned.
Sound familiar? The darkness of our me-centered society, condescending political and social messaging, and a lax approach to discipleship threaten to darken our view. Without the light of God’s Word, we risk wandering into dark, dangerous, confusing, and hopeless places.
There is a final reason Peter tells us to pay attention to the prophetic message of Scripture: Light comes before dawn. The darkness of night is chased away by light in advance of the sunrise and the start of a new day. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus Christ is called the bright Morning Star. Paying attention to the light of God’s Word prepares us for the greater brightness of Christ’s full presence.
This Advent season, as you reflect on his Word, pay attention to the light it gives. It is preparing you for the coming of Jesus when there will be no darkness at all.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, as we wait this Advent season, shine the light of your Word into the dark places of our hearts and guide us safely along your paths. Strengthen our faith to trust your promises, keeping our eyes fixed on you, the bright Morning Star. Prepare us to rejoice fully in your coming, when there will be no darkness and your glory will fill all creation. Amen.
Written by Dawn Schulz
