Oh the darkness before He came … oh the light since his arrival!

From creation to the end of the Old Testament writings, God had been ‘hands on’ with this planet – this beautiful tiny blue speck in the vastness of universes. He had given instruction, made prophetic promises concerning its future and spoken in various ways with those who followed Him.

But then … 400 years of silence. It was like the cosmic darkness of deep space robbed earth of its brilliance. The Creator appeared to have taken a step back, observing. Is He angry? Plotting a ‘gotcha’ plan? How will He deal with the only point of rebellion in all that He created?

As the New Testament begins we’re told that God is back and in human flesh. What could have precipitated this divine visitation? It could have been bad – very bad.

Imagine shepherds struggling to stay awake and keep a small fire going. The night was already dark but suddenly they sensed a visitor who blended with the darkness making his form difficult to make out. Then he spoke. “I have come to bring you some news,” he began. “God is back and He is ticked!”

“When you celebrate this arrival keep a low profile and keep the lights low.”

At this point I hope you’re howling and demanding to know what I’ve done with the real story. Ah, the real story. The truth is the angel arrived amid light never seen before. His first words were “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news … and it’s for everybody everywhere.”

• God was back as the Great Embracer … not the finger pointer.
• He was back bringing hope … not calling on past failures.
• God came bringing peace to challenge life’s biggest threats.
• His arrival meant the end of tyranny to evil and selfish living.
• God brought back joy and laughter. Sadness was shown the door.

When God came back the lights came back on. “ …the people who sat indarkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, alight has shined.” Matthew 4:16 NLT

So celebrate this year with more lights, not less. Try to make your house visible from the International Space Station! If you’re not into decorating the exterior of your house, make sure that the light of God’s presence is visible radiantly from your face and that the joy in your life saturates the atmosphere around you!