“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1 (NASB)

As I read this, I think of the first place the word “light” is mentioned in the Bible. Genesis1:1-4 (NASB) reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earthwas formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Godwas moving over the surface of the waters.Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and therewas light. God saw that the light was good;and God separated the light from the darkness.”

This verse is the story of my life! In the beginning God created me. My life was formless and void. Darkness covered my life. The darkness of growing up in an alcoholic, violent,and abusive home. The darkness of anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness. The darkness of all my sin, and a marriage on the brink ofdivorce. The darkness of health problems and a lot of debt. The darkness of a life without purpose or hope, and the darkness of empty religion.

Then on March 30, 1976, GOD’S AMAZING GRACE revealed to my husband Richard and me that even though we attended church weekly and helped needy people, we did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We both repented of our sins and put our trust in Christ as our Savior. We prayed, asking Jesus to change our lives and make them pleasing to Him. The Holy Spirit entered into our lives, and God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light!

Daily we would read the Bible, and the light of God’s Word started to separate the light from the darkness in our hearts and lives. Oh,beloved, what an exciting adventure we started on as the light of God’s Word revealed so much sin in our lives, and God’s grace and mercy brought us to repentance and removed the darkness of guilt and shame. The Holy Spirit gave me His power to forgive everyone who had abused me as achild. He removed the darkness of hate, bitterness, and unforgiveness. He healed me and set me free.

The Holy Spirit removed the darknessof pride, selfishness, self-righteousness, and unforgiveness from our marriage and filled our hearts with the light of His love, patience, grace, and mercy for each other. We have been married since 1968.

The Lord helped us get on a strict budget and control the lusts of our flesh. Over a period of time we paid off all our debts. What a joy it was when the Lord removed that darkness as we made the final payment on our mortgage in1983.

Our lives are no longer formless and void and without hope. We now have an international ministry helping others get free from their darkness as the Lord forgave us and set us free.  I thank God for removing my darkness and for filling my life and home with the light of His mercy and grace!

Beloved, He can do the same for you. Beloved believer, God can remove all your darkness, and unbeliever, there is a God who loves you and wants to remove your darkness also.

With a goal to glorify Jesus Christ, Janice McBride

http://www.janicemcbride.com/_pdfs/psalm_27_german/1_Psalm%2027.pdf