October 16, 2026 | Be Connected
Walking Away from the Darkness
Scripture: 1 John 2:7-11(NIV)
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
Devotional
Last year Lisa and I applied for and received a five-day pastoral retreat in the Missouri Ozarks. A young couple, Tim and Lyndsey, treated us like royalty in a small home used for short-term guests. They and their two daughters visited from time to time offering encouragement and fun. Most of the time, Lisa and I just had time together with no obligations, a rarity for couples in ministry.
During one of our times with Tim and Lyndsey, they took us up the mountain to enjoy a picnic lunch and panoramic views. What a blessing! After we packed up, they took us on a hike. We ended up at the mouth of a cave and they led the way in. It was moist and cool, with a low ceiling. The farther back we got, the more we needed the lights on our phones. When we got all the way back, we turned off the lights. You know what we saw? Nothing.
That’s how darkness is. It illuminates nothing. It hides the hard walls and dangerous footfalls. Pretending the darkness is not there would mean certain concussion on the many low hanging protrusions. As John wrote, darkness can blind us.
I suppose if we had stayed there long enough our eyes would have adjusted somewhat. If we had stayed there several days eating our leftover picnic food, our eyes would have been so acclimated to darkness that the light of day would have been blinding if we had managed to crawl out of the cave. Initially darkness was the enemy. In time, light would have been our foe.
What are the spiritual implications of light and darkness for your own journey with Jesus?
