December 5th: I Am The Light of the World
Fallen Into Darkness—Risen Into Light
by Mike Lopez
“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” Micah 7:8
As I prayed and meditated on this scripture, I found myself praising the goodness of God. If circumstances are painful for us, we can probably identify with “I have fallen” and that could cause us to think negatively. But the word “though” is repeated twice. When it is used as a conjunction, though means “despite the fact that.” Our lives have been full of “despite the fact thats”…It is the optimistic rather than the negative approach to life, and it has the assurance from none other than the LORD himself. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World,” and because of this we can be positive-minded even in our negative circumstances. Our spiritual enemy does not make it easy for us to move on past whatever we are going through. However, if we rest on the fact that the Lord has something better for us than before, we can begin to proclaim and thank him for His goodness and light.
I remember a time in July one year when Julia and I bought our first house. With two young daughters, we were naive first-time homeowners and a bit scared about what we’d done. A couple of months later, the scariness wore off and so we bought a brand-new car. We were set with a new house and a new car; we were ready for the holidays! Well, the week after that Thanksgiving holiday, I was laid off from my job with just two weeks’ severance pay. Suddenly I experienced the biggest feeling of defeat as a husband and a father! I was scared as I exhausted every possible resource I knew at the time in search of a new job. But more importantly, I began for the first time desperately tapping into the greatest source of them all, the Lord Jesus Christ! “Though I have fallen, I will rise.” The means for Christmas gifts that year were limited, but the true meaning of Christmas is never limited. God’s gift to us as the Light of the World is everlasting!
At the beginning of the next year, the Lord provided me a position that launched me into the career I have today. I hope I never forget that feeling of being vulnerable both financially and spiritually. It taught me the importance of being prepared and thankful in all circumstances. The fall and the darkness are only temporary; when we proclaim His goodness and sovereignty we are victorious in His name, JESUS!
Though I have fallen, I will rise!
Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light!