You seeing those signs?

All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. (John 3:20-21 NLT)

Running from light is futile. Try as we might, light has a way of creeping into darkness even though a person may attempt to block it out. I have a neighbor who has security lights pointed almost directly at my bedroom window. Needless to say, that light streams through the shutters even with them closed. I put up a blackout curtain behind the shutter, and I still notice a small slit of light that shines through! Light is present even when darkness is desired. In so many lives today, light is coming through even though darkness has been desired for way too long and we should celebrate.

We cannot outrun light. It gets in 'through the cracks', doesn't it? We all have probably experienced a degree of what we might call 'total darkness' by hiding in a closet as a child during a game of hide and seek. Even though we were hidden well, we managed to be found out once light came shining through when the door was opened. In much the same way, when Christ's light shines into our lives, we are 'found'. Perhaps the words of the old hymn 'Amazing Grace' reference this the best: "I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind, but now I see." Light drove back the darkness, 'found us', and helped us to escape the 'blackness' of a lost life buried in sin.

For those running from the light, let me assure you that you will never fully escape it. I recall the story a friend told me in Bible College. He had run and run from God for so long, but the more he ran, the more he saw 'signs' of God's love all around him. At first, it didn't connect, but the more he attempted to run from God's light, the more 'signs' he encountered - right down to the day he noticed all the wooden electric poles looked like crosses. Crosses one after another all along the road he was driving - unable to escape them, he called out for the one who hung upon such a cross and came into the light. We might try to run, but God's light has a way of presenting itself even in the most unusual of ways!

Sinners don't want exposure. The things done in secret desire to be held secret, don't they? It is an uncomfortable situation to be exposed - so running seems like the best option. At some point, running only leads to weariness, though. What we thought we could escape doesn't really go away, though. Light remains; exposure is inevitable. It is better to acknowledge the things light exposes, choosing to run into the light rather than away from it, for it is only in light that we can be free of those things that lead to such weariness of spirit, soul, and body. Just sayin...