URC Daily Devotion 10 November 2025

St Matthew 6: 22 – 23

Jesus said: ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light;  but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Reflection

In 2022 before we moved to the UK, I got shingles in my face, which unfortunately spread into my right eye and scarred my cornea – all good now, I was fortunate that it hasn’t caused any permanent damage to my already rather poor eyesight. What did annoy me was the fact that the month before I ended up in hospital, I had spent a fortune on new prescription spectacles! that subsequently needed to be updated once my eye settled.

One clue to my illness was light sensitivity, in the days leading up to my hospital stay, all light – both electric and natural – was really painful to be in. I shied away from bright areas, wore my sunglasses regularly and just generally didn’t want to be in the light, the darkness was of great comfort to me.

However, as soon as my eyes were better, the light was a glory to behold – the darkness was very isolating and I felt very cut off from those around me, like I had put up a shield to keep them out. I love seeing the sun/Son, I find nothing more comforting than waking up and seeing the light streaming into the house, the sun shining, the earth looking new and refreshed, everything bright and exposed to the growth that comes with light.

So, I make every endeavour to always be in the light, to not have to go back to the darkness and isolation and shielding myself from brightness because it was not a pleasant place to be.

Prayer

Light of the World
you stepped down into darkness
opened my eyes let me see,*
thank you for enabling me
to see the light and move away from the darkness,
may my eyes always be open to You,
Lord of the Light
and may I never have to shield myself
from you or others. Amen.
 (*Here I am to worship by Robin Mark)