The Lighthouse For Our Souls

Lighthouses help ships to navigate dark and dangerous waters and to enter ports safely. Lighthouses do not eliminate reefs and rocky shoals. They don't magically fix all of the problems that a ship at night in the middle of a stormy sea might be facing. But a lighthouse can show a ship the only safe way to get back home. It might not always be easy fighting the wind and the waves and keeping the helm steady so that the ship doesn't dash against the rocks. But it would be so much worse trying to sail to shore without any idea where the rocks might be. None of us want to see a scary patch of rocks ahead, but sailing blindly into them and destroying ourselves would undoubtedly be worse. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He wants to show us clearly where the shoals and reefs are because He wants to save us from destruction. He can't wave a hand and magically wipe away all of the rocks so that we don't have to struggle, but He can show us what dangers to avoid. Ignorance may be bliss if we are safe inside our own bathtub, but on a ship in the middle of a dark and stormy night, it is only the light that will save us. We can moan and complain that we have to try and navigate such treacherous waters, and our complaints may be completely valid. Or, we can drop to our knees and pour out our souls in gratitude that Christ in His infinite mercy has chosen to be the lighthouse for our souls and help us survive our ordeals even if He can't take all of the fear and pain away. I know that even if the truth doesn't always show us what we want to see, it all always light the best and the only safe path through all our trials.