Devotional: The Wonder of Christmas — When the Light Arrives
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
We spend a lot of our lives assuming we can fix ourselves.
If we think harder.
If we try longer.
If we discipline ourselves more.
But Isaiah speaks to people who were completely overwhelmed. They were surrounded by darkness and unsure of their future. And God does not give them steps to improve their situation. He gives them a promise.
A light will come.
This matters because the darkness is not only around us. It is in us. We want to love well, forgive freely, and live at peace. Yet we fail again and again. We see what is right, but we do not always choose it. That is not a lack of effort. It is a problem deeper than effort.
Hope does not rise from inside us. Hope dawns upon us.
That truth should humble us. We cannot generate what we need most. We cannot create light where there is darkness. That is why Christmas is not about self-improvement. It is about surrender.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” God Himself steps into our darkness. He does not wait for us to become better people. He comes while we are still walking in the dark.
Light does not need permission to overcome darkness. When it appears, darkness retreats. Slowly. Surely. Completely. That is how Jesus works in us when we stop striving and begin trusting.
The question is not whether the light has come. It has. The question is whether we will surrender to it.
Christmas confronts us with a decision. Will we keep trying to manage our lives on our own, or will we bow before the Light of the world and let Him change us?
Prayer
Jesus, I confess how much I rely on myself. I admit that I cannot create hope or heal my own heart. I surrender my life to You again today. Shine Your light into every dark place in me. Do whatever You want to do in my heart. I trust You. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
In what areas of your life are you still trying to rely on your own strength?
What darkness have you avoided bringing into the light?
How does the truth that hope comes from outside of you challenge the way you live?
What would full surrender to Jesus look like in your daily decisions?
Walk it Out
Begin each day by praying: “Jesus, I need Your light. I surrender today.”
Identify one area where you’ve been relying on yourself instead of trusting God. Bring it honestly into the light.
Spend a few quiet minutes each day reading Isaiah 9:2 or John 8:12, asking God to reveal what needs to change.
Choose one simple, unseen act of obedience that reflects Christ’s light in you.
End each day by thanking God for the hope you received rather than the effort you gave.
The light has already come. The only question left is whether we will stop resisting it. Christmas reminds us that God entered our darkness so we could finally live in the light. Let that truth change the way you live today.
