Daily Bible Reading Plans to help you read and understand God’s Word

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:2-5, Isaiah 60:1-5, John 1:9

Growing up, my sisters and I had a special “Christmas Sister Pact” that, if broken, brought merciless mocking upon the head of the offender (what are sisters for, after all). Each Christmas Eve, we climbed in the same bed and drifted restlessly to sleep. Whoever woke first had the all-important responsibility of waking the others so that we could creep down the stairs together—quite literally plodding step-by-step in the world’s slowest three-legged race—to take in the grandeur of plump stockings and the shiny treasure trove at the bottom of the Christmas tree. As most parents probably know, this trek wasn’t exactly happening at an hour post-sunrise; we rose long before the sun in those ripe early morning hours that really should be considered the dead of night.

Looking back now, what my little kid heart really craved from each Christmas morning wasn’t the pile of presents themselves; it was the moment when, after trudging and stumbling and stepping on toes in the dark, the colorful lights of the Christmas tree blazed in their holly jolly glory. The soul-cleansing breath of relief that, after the longest night of the year for any child, the light blazed on.

I don’t think I doubted Santa’s ability to follow through—even less so now that I know what was really going on, if you know what I mean! I think there was that splinter-sized sliver in my heart still stuck in the dark, guarding me from the potential pain of disappointment. And as an adult, I have to be honest and say I’m still working on digging that sliver of self-protection out.

We’ve walked through some dark days, friends. And no matter how many times I’ve stood at the pulpit of my own heart and preached, “Your light has come!” I can’t help but tuck the tiniest crumb of myself back in the shadows just on the off-chance God won’t come through this time.

But if there’s one thing that’s helped me embrace the light without fear of it fading, it’s this: All of these wonderfully poetic words in Scripture are all past-tense for us. They’ve already come to pass. The true Light, the One John said was coming into the world (John 1:9), has already dawned. Why, dear little heart, are you so afraid of something not happening when it has already come to pass! Jesus has already drowned out the darkness with his radiant, holy, brilliant light. Do I expectantly, impatiently, and achingly wait for the day I get to see what that truly means? You bet. But I’m not waiting to see if the Light will come to shine over those of us living in the land of darkness (Isaiah 9:2).

The Light has come, and I must have the faith to emerge from the shadows and feel its warmth shining on my face.

Written by Kayla De La Torre