The Light

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Revelations 21:23

A strong fall storm recently came through the Pacific Northwest and knocked over many trees. A large cottonwood tree crashed through the power lines near our house leaving us without power for several days. Having experienced this before, the older children rummaged around for flashlights and candles and embraced the darkness as an adventure. Our 4-year-old son on the other hand would keep going in to his bedroom and trying to turn on the light. Failing to do so, he would come out and very seriously tell us that “HIS” power was out. Too young to understand the way electricity works, but old enough to realize something was wrong. We got a good chuckle from this naïveté. Soon enough he was running around with his own flashlight and adapting to the new way we had to find our way around.

This caused me to think of the need a child this age has of his parents teaching them about life and the way things work. Much of this teaching is done naturally without much thought. It is also done by example as the child watches and emulates the parent. Without this teaching a child will be stunted in their development and lag behind in learning. This is especially true in spiritual matters. If we leave our young to learn on their own, they will not understand where our True Light comes from. They will be left in the dark stumbling around and trying of their own efforts to “turn on the light”. We find in the book of Deuteronomy the 6th chapter the admonition to teach our children. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” … This which is so important to teach them is Jesus. He is that Glory of God and the Lamb of God that lightens up the entire world. Jesus tells us himself in The Gospel of John “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Someday I will be able to explain electricity to my youngest child, but even if he doesn’t share my interest, it is my prayer that he is granted faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he follows Him all the days of his life and finds in him the light of life. May we always speak of his wondrous love for us. Even as we walk in the way, may we too write of Him on the posts of our house and on our gates so that not only would our children see Christ, but that also others in our communities would see that Light of Lights.

Praise God for his unspeakable mercies toward us in Christ!

Hans Lampinen

Submitted by Pastor Stan