Thursday, March 26
Deep within the darkness of adversity, finding light can seem improbable. Becoming a beacon can feel nearly impossible.
Yet God pushes us to seek and believe. For me, Lenten reflection challenges my heart, encourages me to listen, and goads my fear into embracing faith.
By pursuing faith, there is a call to be answered. That call for me is to observe, heed and surrender. In doing so, I may not only see the light, but perhaps be a beacon of light to others.
Proverbs 4:18 says “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
The great civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer often sang “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine.” Despite being severely beaten in her pursuit for equal rights, she walked by faith. God’s light shone through her, and she became a beacon of light for others.
Recognizing God’s presence and guidance is hard. In this reading from the book of John, Martha was brought to her knees by grief, weeping for her brother and the finality of his passing. Her faith tested, Jesus gently admonished her for her tears, asking, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Once Jesus implored God to resurrect Lazarus, her faith was restored. It is within those impossibly dark days that we must hold onto our belief in God’s light. That light that will not only guide us, but allow us to be a beacon that shines for others.
Prayer: God, in the dark and doubt of Lent when we feel overwhelmed by what life offers us, may your eternal light brighten the tomb of death and revive us into the way of the living through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
– Robin Hamilton