God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
Expanded Passage: 1 John 1:5
A few years ago, when my family and I were living in Kentucky, we heard about the Mammoth Cave National Park near Bowling Green. This tourist attraction is reported to be the longest cave system in the world, stretching a little more than four hundred miles of continuous underground passageways. Visitors can take part in short or long tours, and so we opted for the shortest tour of forty-five minutes. The caves were well lit, fascinating, and beautiful.
At one point in the tour, our guide asked the group if we would like to experience total darkness. Shortly thereafter, off went the lights! We were enveloped in an environment devoid of all light. I waved my hands frantically in front of my face but saw nothing. The feelings of disorientation, fear, bewilderment, and anxiety were immediately felt by all of us. After a minute or two, the tour guide turned on a single flashlight: the sense of relief was palpable.
The writer of 1 John reminds us that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” Wherever God is, there is light, and wherever God is not, there is nothing but darkness. Light tends to bring security and relief; darkness brings fear and anxiety. God illuminates the way of those who welcome his light.
Step into God’s light through repentance.
Stephen Elliott serves as the national superintendent of The Wesleyan Church of Canada and program director of pastoral ministries and church planting degree programs at Kingswood University in New Brunswick. He and his wife, Helen, have three adult children.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
