Chanukah: The Light

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.
John1:4,5

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matt:5:14-16

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Tonight we celebrate the first night of Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights. Although Chanukah recounts a tremendous story of faith, the devotion and deliverance of his people, the Maccabees, and how the Lord made a one day's supply of oil last for eight days thereby keeping the light burning in the Temple after it was cleansed, Light is the main symbol in Chanukah. References to "light" appear 237 times in the Bible; I selected 3 verses that really speak to me here, and I have unintentionally been blogging about light lately. Light- the Light that is the Lord Jesus- illuminates our path,shows us how to live as disciples(followers) of Jesus, drives away darkness, and is symbolic of wisdom, knowledge, goodness, the very essence of God (1John 1:5). A source of light is fire, which when we surrender to the Lord, burns off and burns out the junk from our lives.
Chanukah is a story of miraculous deliverance, but then, so are the stories of each of our lives! The Bible says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and once having been awakened our temples which were once desecrated by filth and unholiness, have been cleansed, purified, and rededicated to God's holy purposes.
Praise belongs to the Lord who has given us Victory over sin and death, AMEN.