John 8:12 She stood in the middle of the temple court. Caught the act and accused of adultery, men stood around her, poised, ready to cast the first stone. What were they waiting for? In an attempt to test Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees asked Him, ‘What is Your sentence’? Darkness had to have fallen on the woman as she knew her fate. By Law, it laid in the hands of the men ready… waiting… to stone her to death. But, there was a pause. Jesus said something about a man who’s without sin can throw that first rock. It’s here the Light pierced the darkness, shattered the hopes of the enemy to have any kind of victory, as sinners, blinded to their own sin and a spirit of Self Righteousness, were ready to take the life of another sinner. After everyone had gone, the Light, the life of men, shown on the woman. With simple but powerful words, Jesus said “I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more”. The Light of truth transformed condemnation into conviction, and set the woman free from the penalty of her sin. We don’t know the rest of her story, or how He impacted her life, but perhaps we’ve come face-to-face with ‘death’, witnessed condemnation, changing to conviction through the power of the Light as she did. Maybe we’ve seen darkness flee from the Light, as where there’s Light, there’s no darkness. Jesus is telling us to follow the Light, to follow Him, to stay on the path of Righteousness and Truth and Life. He’s telling us to stay out of the shadows that blend into the darkness. The Light? It’s in His presence, in Him and where He is. We walk in the spirit, we challenge every temptation with the Light of the Truth. Lord, there are no words to express the depths of our gratitude for the security in Your Light, in the Hope that’s ours, the Hope of eternal life in You. So, once again, we come before You with nothing but our hearts… in surrender.