Let me tell you something about photographers, amateur in my case, we never start shooting without considering our lighting source.  Photography is all about light, dependent on it, existing because of it.  A photograph taken without light isn't a photograph at all, it is only the absence of light.

I love the concept of light, it's just hands down preferable to darkness.  It guides us, reveals what's happening in our surrounding area, allows us to see things that we need to see, and it exposes truth; as opposed to darkness, which hides things, takes away our vision,  and causes us to stumble and fall.  Yea, I'm all about keeping a light on!

I'd like you to go on a little imaginary photo shoot with me.  Pretend we have just entered a dark room, as in zero light, and conveniently our camera has no flash.  We can't capture an image because capturing images requires light.  But you, who were super prepared for such an event, pull a box of matches and a candle out of your pocket.  You light it, stand in the center of the room, and smile because you just illuminated the pitch blackness.  This darkened  space now has light and the smallest amount of  light can change the darkness.  We can add more and more light until the darkness is no more.  We can physically alter darkness and make it light.

Have you ever thought of that?  We can bring light into darkness but we can't bring darkness into the light- not in the physical sense anyway.  As an aspiring photographer and growing Christian, I thrive off of this truth.  Photography does not exist without light just as a Christian cannot exist without the one, true light, Jesus Christ.

Lets take a look at scripture that pertains to what I'm talking about.

I am the light of the world, he that follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life, John 8:12.  Just as my photography books tell me I need light to photograph, John is telling us that you gotta have the light of the world if you wanna see where your going on this spiritual journey.

Perhaps, you're like me, and you find yourself wandering in the dark from time to time. If that's the case you might like to pass a sarcastic smile and say, "Life isn't that easy and the light isn't always on."  To which I would reply, "My thoughts exactly!"  All the while my mind would know the truth, we follow the light but our actions and choices are often the cause of it growing dimmer by the minute.  I hope I would be wise enough to tell you the words penned by a psalmist thousands of years ago, because within those words are beautiful truth.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path- Psalm 119:105.

I would tell you the same thing I've told myself so many times,"Our light grows brighter when we study God's word, brighter when we spend time in prayer, brighter when we spend time in Christian fellowship. " I would tell you that dark days come and go but the light can extinguish the darkness in a way that the darkness will never be able to erase the light.  I would tell you that photographers chase light because without it there is no point in taking a photo, and in the same manner Christians chase light because without it there is no way to know God or shine for Him.  Let's work together, let's shine together, let's become so bright that the darkness begins to fade because ultimately that is what God has called us to do in this dark World.  He wants to shine in our lives, so that we may shine to those around us.  

Family Devotion- Seeing the Light

You will need a flashlight for each person in the room, a bible, and a dark room.

Start your family devotion off by reading the following scriptures, Matthew 5:14-16

After reading and discussing gather your family, give each person a light and tell them to leave them turned off.  Turn off all the lights in the house and get the space as dark as possible. 

Ask

What do you see?

Why can't you see?

What do you need in order to see?

Now have everyone  turn their light on one at a time.  Point out that a little light changes the darkness but that a lot of light begins to erase the darkness.  Explain that God gives us the light and that once we have that light it is our responsibility to share it with others.  We share the light by telling others about God, and also by our words and actions.

This devotion can take so many directions, personalize to work for your family.