There’s something intriguing about a lighthouse.
Solid, stoic, safe. Mysterious and brimming with stories of rescue from yesteryear, it provides necessary illumination in the darkness of a storm. And storms, we know, are inevitable.
One of my favorite lighthouses is in Oceanside on the Oregon Coast. He’s a chunky, squat little fellow, but his placement high on the rocky cliff is perfect to illuminate the entire craggy vicinity and warn seafarers of the treacherous coastline by shedding his beam of light on untold dangers.
In the darkness, we are always at risk of falling into trouble unless someone is there to shed light on the situation. Illumination is essential—in both our physical and spiritual lives.
Our darkness may be depression, failure, sickness, indecision, loneliness, fear, or a thousand other black skies stretching before us in the night. Some storms seem utterly impenetrable—until we look up and see the Light.
“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)?
God illuminates our path and stands firm as our Refuge, better than any lighthouse imaginable. He literally saves lives—not just from stormy nights, but also from an eternity of darkness. We need a ‘lighthouse’ not only when our boat is dangerously close to hitting rocks, but also to illuminate areas that need navigating on our plain-sailing days.
Our Rock, our Stronghold, our Light, and Deliverer.
Oh, that we might open our eyes to God’s Light, and allow fear to be swallowed up into darkness as He shines truth over us in His love.