Tomorrow we will be blessed to witness an eclipse of the sun over much of our country. During an eclipse, the moon's orbit covers the sun and casts a shadow on a portion of the earth. These events are not "once in a lifetime," but they don't happen every day. Scientists have predicted that an eclipse like this will not happen again in North America until April 8, 2024.

The Bible uses the figure of "light" numerous times to represent various things such as the presence of God, truth and righteousness. The absence of light (darkness) represents sin, ignorance and error.

When there is an absence of spiritual light, man is without the spiritual guidance and enlightenment that he needs. This often happens on purpose, as the prophet Hosea wrote, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6).

Paul told the Ephesians, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8). Any time we turn our attention away from the word of God and fill our minds with sinful thoughts or worldly philosophies, we are creating our own eclipse. When we fill our life with the practice of sin, we are not letting our light shine; we are creating our own eclipse (Matt. 5:14-16). There is no room for an "eclipse" in the life of a Christian.