Headlight

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness (John 8:12).

Along every paved road, there are signs—signs that tell you where you are, signs that warn of hazards coming up, signs that caution you to drive safely. These signs are made reflective so that when you drive at night, they show up easily in your headlights. When you drive in darkness, it’s much harder to see any distance, a dangerous situation that makes signs all the more necessary.

I remember one night many years ago when I was driving along a dark and lonely road. Without any warning, my headlights suddenly went out. It was terrifying! Zipping along a narrow two lane at 55 mph with no idea what was in front of me. I immediately hit the brakes and would go no further until the problem was fixed.

It seems inconceivable that anyone would drive at night without headlights, especially at high speed. Yet in a sense, most of the people living today do just that. They live in spiritual darkness—they cannot see God’s marvelous light. It’s like driving down a highway with the headlights switched off; there are any number of signs bearing important information, but without headlights you cannot see them.

God has filled our world with signs. There are signs that tell you where you are and what direction you are headed. There are signs that warn you of approaching danger, and that caution you to behave responsibly. These signs are found in Bibles and in churches. They are reflected in the lives of Christian friends and relatives. But without God’s light they are impossible to see. To an unbeliever, the Bible is a book of made up stories and ancient philosophy. To an unbeliever, Christians are religious fanatics or misguided fools. The important things that Christ has to say go by unnoticed.

But it is dangerous to drive in the darkness. It is easy to get lost or stranded; it is easy to get hurt and to hurt someone else. It’s dangerous to go through life without knowing where you are or where you’re headed; it’s risky to make decisions when the best path forward cannot be seen. It’s hard to live life without faith in Christ. Thankfully, the signs from God are all around us; all you need is light in order to see them. Ask Jesus to guide you through life, and He will be your headlight.