I will praise Him!
Beyond the moon, Landestreu Church, SK — photo courtesy of Donald Adam.
Marking the Seasons
02 Saturday Dec 2017
Tag Archives: darkness
Fear of the Dark
26 Wednesday Jul 2017
Posted in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 27, Psalms
Tags
awe, battle, childhood fears, dark, darkness, David, David and Goliath, fear, fear of the dark, fearing God, Light, risks, salvation, victorious, warrior
Reading: Psalm 27
Of David.
(Verses 1-3)
The LORD is my light and my salvation –
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life –
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
When my enemies and foes attack me,
They will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war break out against me
Even then will I be confident (NIV).
Reflection
Are you afraid of the dark? That may seem like a rather empty-headed question? Most adults have overcome their fear of the dark a long time ago, back in the dark ages of childhood. But have you really overcome your fear of dark places?
Prairie Moon — photo courtesy of Donald Adam
I would like to suggest that we have not overcome that most basic of fears. We have only learned to mask our fears and conveniently avoid those dark unknown recesses. Our fear of the dark is at its core a fear of the unknown. Hidden out there in the dark unknown regions is a whole battalion of hidden risks—the lurking boogeymen—who keep us close to home, who keep us on the well-beaten path, the well-marked path, a path of no-risk and least-resistance. How often do you dare to go where others have never gone? Are you still certain that you are not afraid of the dark?
In this psalm, David, the fearless warrior, reveals the secret to his victorious life—a life spent overcoming insurmountable obstacles. With reckless confidence this insignificant, no-rank shepherd boy took on the Goliaths of his time, and he rose to each and every challenge, time after time throughout his storied career.
So then, what was the secret to David’s success? It resides in his overwhelming confidence in the LORD. Surely, common sense would dictate that a wet-behind-the-ears shepherd boy is no match for an experienced warrior, such as the towering Goliath. But David exudes confidence: The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
David was not afraid of the dark, or the giant, or the Philistine army arrayed against him. He feared only the LORD. The LORD was his light in a dark place. The LORD was his salvation in every battle and his deliverance in every hostile situation. David feared the LORD. He bowed in reverential awe before Him. He allied himself with the LORD his Maker. That’s an unbeatable combination.
Response: Lord Jesus, help me to truly walk in confident faith. I ally myself with you. You are my light and my salvation. Help me now to face my day and my future with confidence that comes from you, my Savior. Amen.
Your Turn: How often do you take a plunge into the unknown? Is God asking you to take a step of faith?
In Darkness Light Dawns
05 Monday Dec 2016
Reading: Psalm 112
Praise the LORD.
Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.
Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.
The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing (NIV).
Reflection
Is there a blessing to be had for those who fear the LORD? Absolutely yes, according to Psalm 112! When we put the LORD first in our lives and honor Him in all we say and do, He takes note. Blessings come from the LORD. Those blessings can come in various forms.
Winter sunrise, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
The psalmist begins by speaking of the blessing that flows to our children. A home where the love of God reigns is blessed indeed. Children grow up in a secure environment and that sets the stage for their advancement as adults in society. The psalmist asserts the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Are you finding great delight in the LORD’s commands? There are consequences for that. You may be blessed with wealth and riches as a result. Fearing God brings a reward, but that reward must be used wisely in the service of God and others. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
But this psalm does not promise us a trouble-free life. Though bad news may come, those who fear God will trust in Him and overcome adversity. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Response: Father God, I thank you for every blessing that comes from fearing you and living uprightly. When my way seems dark, shine your light on me. Lead me forward in the way of Christ. Amen.
Your Turn: Have you experienced God’s blessing? Which blessings do you value most?
He Broke their Chains
16 Wednesday Nov 2016
Tags
artificial light, dark, darkness, God, God's commands, Light, rebellion, self-harm, self-inflicted
Reading: Psalm 107
(Verses 10-16)
Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron (NIV).
Reflection
Darkness comes in various forms. Darkness is of course an absence of natural or artificial light. A certain amount of darkness can in fact be very pleasant. Have you ever tried to sleep in a brightly lit room? Last night I was driving through the wilderness of northern Ontario with a full moon—a super moon beaming down. On such occasions you appreciate the soothing benefits of darkness.
Prairie sunset near MacNutt, SK. — photo by David Kitz
But spiritual darkness is another matter. In today’s vignette or snapshot from Psalm 107, we see a picture of prisoners sitting in utter darkness and subjected to bitter labor. This darkness, however, is self-inflicted, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High.
There’s a lot of self-inflicted darkness and suffering in the world. One could argue that since the time of Adam and Eve, all suffering and spiritual darkness is in some respects self-inflicted. In our blindness and self-generated wisdom, we harm ourselves, rather than calling out to the LORD.
Have you harmed yourself by walking down a dark path? Have you despised the plans of the Most High? I have. In my foolish rebellion, I thought my plans were better than God’s plans, but God’s ways are higher than my ways and He knows the best way because He lights the way.
Sometimes we insist on generating our own light—artificial light. The religions and philosophies of this world are artificial light. We will see that they are pale imitations on that day when the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays (Malachi 4:2). Nothing and no one shines like Jesus. John testifies to this truth. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5).
Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD (Isaiah 2:5).
Response: Father God, today I want to walk in your light. Thanks for light of salvation in Christ. Amen.
Your Turn: Have you been guilty of generating your own light rather than calling out to the LORD?
I love the Psalms 