Light to guide
The devotions for the coming week are taken from Lutheran Tract Mission’s 2025 Advent devotional, ‘Shine the Light’. Written by Anne Hansen, Lutheran Tract Mission’s Tract Development Officer, the devotions focus on the significance of light in God’s story and plan for the world, from the beginning of Genesis 1, where God created light and the lights in the sky, to the last verse of Revelation, where God is the light reigning forever. The ‘Shine the Light’ Advent devotional is available at www.ltm.org.au/flipbk/advent-2025 and can be downloaded, printed or used as a digital flipbook.
by Anne Hansen
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By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light (Exodus 13:21a).
Read Exodus 13:21,22
Fireflies are incredible little insects. I first came across them one summer while camping with my family in Pennsylvania in the United States. The little firefly causes a light to glow in its body through a chemical reaction called bioluminescence, which is primarily used to attract the males of the species. Our children had fun catching them in their hands and seeing the glow that shone through their fingers. It was a small bright light that then lit up the darkness, and they ran around chasing and following these tiny lights.
The people of Israel had left slavery in Egypt and were being led by Moses to the Promised Land. Having lived in Egypt, the people were familiar with all the Egyptian gods, but they did not yet have a personal relationship with the true God of heaven and earth.
To help the people and Moses know that the God of Israel was with them, leading and guiding them and never leaving them, God promised to have a pillar of cloud by day for them to see and follow and a pillar of fire by night to light their way in the darkness. It was a visible sign of God’s presence among his people, and it never left them. In Bible illustrations, we see a huge fire and a large cloud, but we are not told how big they are. But even a small light in the darkness is enough to follow.
Even a small light like a firefly takes away the darkness and allows us to see and follow. The Bible is filled with figurative language about Jesus being the Light of the World. It illustrates to us that knowing Jesus and his Father God is to never live in darkness. Knowing him and his love, we are always able to see where we are going. He lights our way and guides us through our lives. Like Moses and the Israelites, God’s presence leads us finally to the Promised Land of heaven.
Follow the guiding light of God through knowing his love in the Bible.
Lord, you lead me through many dark places in my life. Light up the way so that I can follow you in all I do. May I always follow your guiding light. Amen.
Anne Hansen has worked as the Lutheran Tract Mission Development Officer for 19 years. She lives in Noosa, Queensland, with her husband, Mark (a pastor), and has three grown children – Jonah, Christian and Emma – and is a new proud mother-in-law to Brooke. Anne enjoys attending Mainly Music, walking, reading, gardening and playing pickleball.
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