Luke 11:34-35 (NIV) Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.

There are two reasons why someone can live in darkness. Either there isn't a source of light, or there is darkness within them. If there is darkness within, then they will not be able to perceive light. Darkness within is a spiritual condition. A good example of people who had darkness within were the Pharisees. They not only had a source of light, but actually had Jesus, who is the Light of the World, in front of them. They personally saw Him do miracles, including many healings as well as casting out demons out of demon-possessed people. They even saw Lazarus, the man that Jesus brought back to life after he had been dead for four days, after his resurrection. Their response to all of this was accusing Him of healing people on the Sabbath (Luke 6:7), accusing Him of casting out demons through Satan's power (Matthew 12:24), and plotting to kill Lazarus along with Jesus because many more people were believing in Jesus after witnessing Lazarus alive (John 12:10-11). The only way for them to come to those conclusions was for extreme darkness to be within them.

We may believe that the Pharisees were evil or extremely deluded, but did you know that if we are not careful, darkness can fill our own hearts? The Word of God warns us to watch out for our hearts because our hearts are deceitful and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9) and to guard our hearts because everything we do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). If we don't guard our heart, darkness can creep in. It can creep in through sin, complacency, and not living in the light. I personally know people who once had light in them who now have darkness within them. The scariest thing about this is that they believe that they have light in them. That's why Jesus told us to make sure that the light within us is not darkness. Your heart will deceive you into thinking that you are okay when you are not okay.

So to make sure that the light within you is actually light, live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8) and let Jesus (the Light) reign in your life. His light will expel all darkness because darkness cannot overcome the radiant Light of the World! Live in the Light and stay in the Light. In that way, your light will not be darkness, but will be a shining light that can light the way for others who are in darkness.

Pastor Joey Vazquez