Tuesday, May 4, 2010

No Darkness


God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

I John 1:5b


Sitting in inky blackness, illuminated by a bonfire, the camp speaker gave me a truth that prepared me for life as a Jesus follower--Don’t doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light. I was fifteen and still remember.

Being afraid of the dark is normal. Rarely do we enter an unfamiliar darkness without flipping on a light in order to expose all that is hidden. Light alleviates our fears allowing us to move around, confidently.

It’s our memory, however, that changes our behavior. Our homes, bedrooms, places of work, or schools are familiar and so, even if shrouded in darkness, we allow our memory of what we know to be in that familiar place, to guide us. Consequently, in the middle of the night we find that we have made it to the bathroom--without a light.

Jesus followers need to rely on a spiritual memory as well. During those moments when life’s decisions are obvious and clear cut we are privileged to stand in God’s well lit room. It is at these moments, when everything is visible, that spiritual memorization is essential. Because the truth is, in an instant the light of the “obvious” could be snuffed out and instead of confidently moving ahead we find ourselves disoriented and confused.

When we make spiritual memory a priority, fearing the dark should no longer be an issue. Without a doubt we will remember what God has shown us in the light.


Jesus, you were the Light that God
sent to illumine the darkness of the world.
When darkness envelops me, help me to remember
what I have seen in your Presence.
Amen.

1 comment:

full of hope said...

Today's blog is one of my favorites. I love the image of remembering my familiar surroundings when there is a blackout. Things are not so scary.Thank you for the encouragement, "Don't doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light."