A Light Breaks into the Darkness –

A Light Breaks Into the Darkness

Pastor Calvin Cook

December 30, 2025

Isaiah 60:1 — “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

I am reflecting on our Advent and Christmas season this year, with new truths learned and hope, joy, and peace experienced through the presence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One of the scriptures that keep speaking to me was the proclamation in Isaiah 60 that “our light has come.”

There are moments in life when darkness seems to overtake everything.  When disappointment, unanswered questions, silent prayers, the heaviness of waiting. Israel knew this feeling well and I believe it is something experienced yet today.  The Israelites were weary people just as we are today when weariness, fear, pain, and uncertainty surround us. Many times, the memories of what used to be create a feeling that what was once experienced can never be experienced again.

Yet right there, in the heaviness of their reality, God speaks a word that seems almost unreasonable:

“Arise!”

“Shine!”

But darkness still covers the earth.

This is what Advent — and Christmas — teaches us: The light of God does not wait for perfect conditions to appear. Jesus came not into calm, but into chaos. Not into comfort, but into conflict. Not with applause, but quietly almost obscure, the light of God breaks forth into the world for all humanity to experience. The manger is proof of that promise.

God stepped into human darkness quietly, a child in a feeding trough a King wrapped in cloth, watched not by crowds, but by shepherds.

Nothing could contain the glory. Angel armies filled the sky. The night became bright as day. Where the world saw an insignificant birth, God shined eternal glory.

Where do you see darkness in your life today? Are there places in your life that feel unfinished, unresolved, or heavy?

Hear God speak into that very place: Arise. Shine. Your Light has come.

Not by anything that you did, but by the Glory of God rising upon you. Not because your situation is perfect but because Christ is present. You may feel small. Your faith may feel fragile. Your hope may feel dim.

But the presence of Jesus is greater than the darkness around you. It is time to receive and claim that light because “In Him, light replaces darkness. In Him, life replaces emptiness. This is the abundant life Jesus spoke of.” John 10:10

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for stepping into our darkness with Your marvelous light. When my heart feels weary, remind me that Your glory rises upon me. Help me to arise, to shine, and to walk in the hope You have given. Shine through me today, that others may see Your light. Amen.