Drawn to the Light

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Posted by Annette Burrell, October 23, 2024

Is your character or personality such that your friends can read you like a book? Recently, I was at an annual Arts and Crafts festival in a nearby town with a friend. We had already stopped at several booths that she thought were interesting. Then one caught my eye, and I asked if we could stop and she said she knew I’d want to look in there. My reply was, “I can’t help it. I’m drawn to the light.” The merchandise was incredible.  Everything was adorned with lights. We lingered in that tiny space for way too long, but I think we both left with a bounce in our steps. I know I did anyway.

What is it about lights that have that effect on us? They brighten things up. They highlight things. They help us to see more clearly. It’s all of that and then some.

From the beginning of time, as we know it, God saw that light was good. He created the heavens and the earth in the first two verses of the Bible. He spoke light into existence in verse 3, then saw that light was good, and separated it from darkness in verse 4. He called the light “day”, and darkness “night”.  

The word “light” appears in the NIV translation of the Bible over 200 times. Most often, it is a metaphor, and a symbol used to highlight God’s presence, goodness, knowledge and truth. When we hear or read the word “darkness” it usually represents sin and evil. 

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5, NIV)

In the book of John, John uses the word light to describe Jesus 24 times, making it a significant symbol of who Jesus is. It’s no wonder God used a star to rise up to lead the Magi to Jesus.

It’s been a few weeks since that Arts and Crafts festival and I have just returned from a Christian conference in Tennessee, which I’ve attended for several years. Something was off this year. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until the last night and it was confirmed after I returned home.  

There was a darkness looming in the room that seated around 10,000 people. The speakers were fantastic, the singers incredible, the testimonies heart-wrenching and the comedian hilarious. But my spirit was off. I had allowed, for a period of about 24 hours, the darkness to penetrate by heart and soul. I didn’t recognize that was happening until the last day.

Walking back from the conference on the last night we commented that the twinkling lights hovering over the bridge had not been on all week and how sad that was. However, that street darkness did not compare to the darkness that had penetrated my spirit the night before. Evil had found a crack in my soul, and had crept in to crush my spirit. It wasn’t until I realized it, and spoke warfare over my life that the darkness fled.

Evil is all around us. Yes, even at a Christian conference. The devil will use whatever it takes to distract us from worshipping our Lord, and I had made a choice to listen to the ugly, and it had affected my worship. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Hadn’t I just studied this and the entire passage on the Full Armor of God? Yes. And I found myself in the middle of the battle and I failed.

I allowed Satan to sneak in the crack I call “hurt” and the air was sucked out of my spirit that night.

When I realized it the next day, in my spirit I held up my hand and quoted Ephesians 6:12. I felt freedom almost immediately. And I have been praying light and compassion for my adversary since I have been home.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  (John 8:12, NIV)

Are you walking in darkness? Have you allowed the enemy to penetrate even the smallest of cracks in your soul so that you aren’t able to fully worship him and walk in the light?

Join me as I choose to follow Jesus, each and every day. Let’s suit up and put on our full armor so we are prepared to stand against the spiritual forces of evil that surround us. May we always be drawn to the light of life.

Annette Burrell is an author, speaker, and singer/songwriter. Through Annette’s years of being a public servant, and her devotion to studying the Bible, God has equipped her to lead women into His presence, and share with them how they can grow in Christ. Her passion is learning, sharing about the Heavenly realms, and God’s plan of protection for us as believers.