A Long Dark Cave
A few years ago I led a trip to Israel. On one of our free days I took a group to Hezekiah’s Tunnel. From entry to exit the tunnel is about 300 yards long, with a few bends along the way. It was (and is) primarily a way for water to flow from one part of Jerusalem to another. Water came up to my thighs at one point.
The tunnel is just wide enough for people to walk through in a single file line and, although sections of the tunnel have high levels of clearance, I had to stoop down to get through other parts of the tunnel. It would be a claustrophobic’s worst nightmare.
I led our group through the tunnel with Carrie right behind me. We were armed with nothing more than our phones as flashlights and a spirit of adventure!
We were barely in when my wife said, “Nope!” She turned and made everybody back out of the tunnel so she could get out. Haha! We finally talked her into doing it, but she was on the verge of “freak out” the whole time. As we started into the tunnel again, it only took a few steps for us to walk out of the light and into the darkness. And wow- it was dark!
At what we guessed was about the halfway point, I stopped and told everyone to turn their lights off. Carrie was not at all happy about that idea. Everyone turned their phone lights off and we found ourselves in the darkest darkness we had ever been in.
Genesis describes a time when “the earth was without form and void, and darkness covered the face of the deep.” Many people believe this particular darkness was caused by Lucifer’s prideful, rebellious fall from heaven to earth. He and one third of the Angels were cast to the earth, and we now refer to them as Satan and his demons.
Whatever your theological notions about when and how “darkness” (evil) came into the world, you wouldn’t argue the fact that our world is certainly evil and dark in many ways. Injustice, pride, hatred, intolerance, poverty, crime – these are all too prevalent. And all of these things are the result of Satan and sin and selfishness.
That is the world into which Jesus came. The Light of the world came into the world of darkness. This was something about which Isaiah prophesied 700 years before Jesus became flesh.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” Isaiah 9:2 ESV
Darkness is expelled by light. Light always wins over darkness. Jesus conquered the darkness of Satan and the darkness of sin, but we must choose to invite His light to shine in our own lives in order for us to walk in the light!
The light Jesus of Jesus not only calls us out of darkness, it also makes us to be lights of the world as well! We become shining lights, reflecting the glory of God!
Today you can choose to allow the light of Jesus to dispel spiritual darkness! And His light can shine brightly through you to bring hope to others around you! If you are walking through a long, dark cave, remember that Jesus is the Light of the world!
Pastor Dale Jenkins 
Sadly, “shining lights” are not burning so brightly to those who are in the darkness of their self-inflicted blindness. We could only pray for the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts to see the truth, so that they could then find the hope in us for themselves.
Thanks for the message. Please visit my blog, if you would, where my focus is on hope.
Blessings,
Jeff