Why Light Finds You Before the Dawn

Scripture: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2

One of the great paradoxes of Scripture is that peace doesn’t wait for the light—it brings the light. Isaiah speaks to people whose world is dim, whose hope feels thin, whose future seems unsteady. They are not standing in clarity; they are standing in uncertainty. And it’s into that kind of space that God speaks the promise of a Child who will be called the Prince of Peace.

Some of the deepest peace we experience happens not after the darkness lifts, but while we’re still walking through it. There’s something sacred about the peace God gives in seasons that haven’t yet resolved. It’s quiet, but not weak. It’s gentle, but not fragile. It’s the peace that whispers, “You are not alone in this. I am here.”

The truth is, we all walk through shadows. We all face nights of the soul. Yet Advent tells us those nights are precisely where God chooses to show up. The light doesn’t wait for dawn; the light creates dawn. Peace doesn’t wait for clarity; peace gives enough strength for the next step.

Wherever you carry darkness today—fear, grief, weariness—God’s peace is moving toward you with light.

Application: Light a candle this evening and sit with it for one minute. As it burns, let it remind you that God brings peace not after the darkness, but in the middle of it.

Prayer:
Prince of Peace, shine Your light into the dark corners of my life. Give me Your steady peace as I walk by faith. Amen.

40 Days of Gratitude Reminder:
Give thanks today for one place where you’ve experienced God’s presence in a difficult season.

Song: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Kutless