When headlights fail

‘The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!’ (verses 22,23)

Read Matthew 6:19-24

If you live in the city and blow the headlight of your car, it takes a while to notice. Everything is so bright you can drive around for ages without a problem.

But try taking a dark country road with a headlight missing. All of a sudden, night closes in on you. Trees take on ghostly shapes and leap out as shadows to scare you. The road disappears in dips and around bends. You slow right down, but then a car appears behind you, lights blinding you, making the road ahead invisible. That’s when accidents happen.

If you live your life without Jesus, you stumble through life in the dark. Sure, maybe for a while you’ll get by. Our society flashes the bright lights of success and sex and security, and tries to convince you that’s all you need. Don’t be fooled. Those things won’t save you when real darkness comes into your life, as sometimes it must. When you experience pain, or death, or failure, or you lose love, have your hopes dashed, or your fears realised, in those times of darkness, you want true light. Look to Jesus. He’s always ready to switch on the light in your life, and light your way forever.

Jesus, I do my best to deal with everything myself. But when the real darkness hits, I know I’m silly to try to do it without you. Please light up my life today. Amen.

“Direction for each day” (LCA, Openbook Publishers, 2006)

Visit the Daily Devotion archives page.