When Darkness Takes Over

[1]

Friday, September 8, 2017

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.”  Exodus 10:21^(NLT)

And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me.  I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”  But regarding Israel, God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”  Romans 10:20-21^(NLT)    

North America was in the path of totality last month.  On August 21^st the moon got in the way of sunlight, and during the course of the day darkness ruled the land.  I slept through the whole two minutes!  Ok…OK…I know I’m a bit of a curmudgeon; you might even call me a party pooper, but I was not going to spend $17.95 plus shipping and handling on Amazon for glasses to see something I’ve seen before.  And by the way, there will be another one passing over North Carolina on May 11, 2078[2] - so what’s all the fuss about missing two minutes of darkness?

God told Moses to bring about an eclipse in Egypt…darkness so thick you can feel it.  And for those who have never been in the path of totality, there really isn’t anything as surreal as a complete absence of light in the middle of the day.  I experienced that as a boy in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave.  Mom and Dad took us to that national park in the late 1950’s.  It’s a 60 year-old memory, but you don’t forget being 379 feet underground in a 500 mile long cave[3] and having the tour guide switch off the lights!  That, I imagine, was what it was like for the Egyptians when Moses lifted his hand; thick darkness!

Now, all that being said, the absence of physical light hasn’t scared me much since I was an 11 year-old in that cave.  Rather it is the darkness of the soul lacking spiritual light that evokes an alarm in me beyond description.

God spoke through Isaiah to Israel, pointing-out that the Gentiles – people who were not even seeking the true God – were going to be overwhelmed with the gift of Heaven’s light, while Israel, the chosen family of Yahweh stumbled around in darkness.  Of course this scenario of Abraham’s offspring making a mockery of God’s covenant begs a spiritual parallel with the 21^st century Christian church.  In this modern age we claim to be enlightened people, civilized, advanced and caring; we claim to be good.

What have we to lay weight to that kind of claim?  Well, the list is impressive.

·       Aborting children

·       Promiscuity among heterosexuals and blatant denial of truth about homosexuality

·       Unparalleled violence in the land

·       Greed and corruption in business and government

·       War unending

In short, we are people who claim the goodness of light, yet stumble around in the darkness, bumping into walls of sin and apostasy like the days of Noah.  The darkness has taken over.

Main conclusion:  God has promised to never destroy the earth by flood again…but He never excluded the judgment of fire from above!

And…we are ripe for it!

For You Today

It’s difficult to hear a message of gloom and doom. 

But it’s madness to ignore such a message!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/future/

[3] Kentucky Geological Survey

God's Word; Light for My Path; Lamp for My Feet

[i]

Monday, February 6, 2017

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.  I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.  I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.  Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations.  My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.  The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments.  Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.  I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.  Psalm 119:105-112^(NLT)

The Psalms, Israel’s hymnal, is the longest of the Bible’s 66 books, and chapter 119 is the longest chapter, and it is also the center of the entire holy collection we call God’s Word.  And in this holy text we find the Psalmist highlighting the importance of paying attention to this gift God has provided for our daily living.  One author characterized how God’s living Word is a blessing too valuable to ignore:

It shows him the way; it prevents his stumbling over obstacles, or failing down precipices, or wandering off into paths which would lead into danger, or would turn him away altogether from the path to life.[ii]

A week ago, walking through our dark house in the wee morning hours with only soft slippers on my feet, I stubbed the same toe for the umpteenth time on the same obstacle I’ve met in the dark more times than I want to admit!  Although I will not tell you exactly what words nearly fell from the preacher’s lips at that precise moment, I can tell you they weren’t pretty.  And neither was it a pretty shade of swollen black and blue on my right foot’s poor, assaulted digit.  I limped through the entire weekend.  

Now, stubbed (and possibly broken) physical toes are a nuisance when you have to walk on them to get anywhere.  But they are merely an inconvenience compared to the wounds we get from stumbling around in the spiritual darkness, away from God’s light.

Let’s face it, life is very much a rocky road, with plenty of opportunities to be tripped-up, causing us to stumble.  In the physical realm there are so many accidents waiting to cripple and maim; there are so many diseases ready to drain the life from your being.

But all the rocks on life’s physical road are merely a stubbed-toe detour compared to the spiritual boulder jumble awaiting the pilgrim travelling through life’s journey.  This is why the Psalmist proclaimed that, even though his life constantly hung in the balance, he would follow-through on his promise to follow the light of God’s Lamp. 

It kind’ve makes me glad I smashed that toe again – no, I definitely don’t have a thing for pain – it’s just that every now and again it’s a good thing to be reminded of what greater damage can be done when you stumble around in the dark physically, or, worse, spiritually.  And it’s so sad to think that there’s so much light available!

For You Today

Meditating on God’s Word and praying for God’s wisdom can prevent a lot of spiritual broken toes!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i]  Title image: By AgTigress (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

[ii] Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament, © 1999, Parsons Technology, Inc