When the Days Grow Shorter, but God’s Goodness Does Not

As the days grow shorter and seasons become darker, it can be easy to feel discouraged by the loss of light. But John 8:12 reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world—a light that does not fade, even when our circumstances feel dark. While physical darkness can affect our mood and energy, spiritual darkness can also leave us feeling discouraged, uncertain, or distant from hope. Jesus offers a light that reaches beyond our circumstances and gives us lasting hope and life.

Jesus’ declaration that He is the light of the world points to His identity as God and His victory over sin and darkness. Through Christ, we are no longer bound to darkness but are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as children of light. Even when we walk through difficult seasons, we can trust that darkness will not have the final word. God’s goodness remains constant, His presence does not fade, and His light continues to shine. Rather than simply waiting for a difficult season to pass, we can reflect Christ’s light through our actions, share the hope we have in Him, and encourage others who may be walking through their own season of darkness.

Highlights

• Why shorter days and physical darkness can affect our emotions and sense of motivation
• What Jesus meant when He declared, “I am the light of the world”
• How Jesus’ identity connects to God’s declaration of “I AM” in Exodus 3
• Why Christ’s light continues to shine even during difficult and dark seasons
• How Jesus’ work on the cross frees us from the darkness of sin
• What it means to live as children of light and let our faith shine before others
• Encouragement to remember that difficult seasons do not last forever and God’s goodness never fades

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Full Transcript Below:

When the Days Grow Shorter, but God’s Goodness Does Not

By: Laura Bailey

Bible Reading:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12 NIV

Every year around this time, my husband goes into a funk. He’s an outdoor guy, and since his job has him chained to a desk for roughly 10 hours a day, he covets the extra sunshine-filled days of summer. As the days grow shorter, he struggles to find joy in the diminishing hours of light.

I get where he’s coming from; there are a lot of people who feel that way. I only made it one winter living in Montreal, where the sun didn’t show up till mid-morning and started setting early afternoon. I struggled with the lack of light in my life, so I went to see a counselor who recommended I invest in a light box. If you are not familiar with a light box, it is literally just that— a box with a light in it. For those who suffer from the seasonal blues, scientists have found that a few minutes in a light box can have a major effect on mood.

It’s pretty wild to think about how light, or the lack thereof, can affect our moods, mental health, physical drive, and various other factors of motivation. Scripture speaks often of light and darkness. Jesus tells us in John 8:12 that, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

In the book of John, Jesus makes 7 “I am” statements, which refer to the conversation Moses has with God in Exodus: Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:13-14). God doesn’t need further explanation; He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and end; He has always existed. The same is true for Jesus, since He is part of the Trinity and God in human form; He, too, can say, “I am who I am.”

During the time Jesus was teaching, light would have been a precious commodity; you didn’t flip a switch; it took work to keep the light going. So, for the original audience, hearing of a light that never dims or goes out would have been a foreign concept. Yet Jesus tells us that He is a light that never fades and shines into the darkness, and provides life. Jesus Christ’s work on the cross delivers us from the darkness; it releases us from the chains of sin and sets us free. And that’s not all! Those of us in Christ now have the power of the Holy Spirit; the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in us (Romans 8:11).

So what should we do with this power?

We let our light shine before men, so that our good deeds can glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).

We boldly share the light in our lives and the eternal hope we have in Jesus Christ (Psalm 27:1).

We walk as children of the light, those who are called according to God’s purpose to proclaim His wondrous works (Ephesians 5:8).

While we have the light of Christ in our lives, there will be times when we experience seasons that feel very dark. If you are in one of those seasons, let me encourage you, as I do my husband, that it will not last forever. One day, the sun’s presence will linger longer, and one day the light will overtake the darkness. Stay encouraged; the days may grow shorter, but God’s goodness does not.

Intersecting Faith &Life:

If you struggle with the winter blues, take some time today to make a plan to incorporate both spiritual and physical light into your life.Further Reading:

What are all the “I AM” Statements?

Matthew 5

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