Rescued from Darkness

In August 2010, 33 men became trapped in a copper-gold mine in the Atacama Desert in Chile. They spent 69 days trapped 2,300 feet below ground. On October 13, 2010, the men were rescued, brought to the surface one at a time while an estimated one billion people around the world watched. A British newspaper reported, “A deep religious faith powered the rescue; miners and families and rescuers alike believe their prayers were answered.”

After spending days in fear and darkness, the trapped miners first saw a beam of light and then heard the voices of their rescuers. And today’s passage, the opening of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, portrays an even greater sense of gratitude toward God who has rescued us from “the dominion of darkness” (v. 13).

These “brothers and sisters in Christ” (v. 2) have been faithful witnesses and have exhibited the love of Christ. And their faith and consistent witness were bearing fruit. Lives were being changed (vv. 4–8). Paul assured these believers of his continued prayers on their behalf, reminding us of the importance of praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul prayed not that they would be free from all harm but that they would “live a life worthy of the Lord” (v. 10). Paul desired for the believers in this church to be strengthened with the power of the Holy Spirit so that they could run the Christian race with endurance.

Next, we see the most important reason for the Colossians, Paul, and every believer to rejoice. We have been rescued from darkness and moved into the “kingdom of light” (v. 12). We can be certain that our sins are forgiven, and that we have been redeemed—once and for all—by the blood of the Lamb (v. 14)!

Pray with Us

Again, our prayers focus on the MTS professors at Moody’s Chicago campus. We ask the Lord to use for His glory the talents and commitment of Deborah Gorton, James Coakley, John Trent, and Julius Wong Loi Sing.

BY Jamie Janosz

Jamie Janosz serves as a content development manager for Moody Bible Institute. She writes monthly devotionals for Today in the Word and has published non-fiction essays with Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics blog. Recently Jamie wrote a book titled When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up (Moody Publishers). Jamie studied theology and writing at Moody Bible Institute, Columbia College, and Illinois State University. She lives on the Atlantic coast of Florida with her husband, Milt, and daughter, Sabrina.