April 24, 2024

You are with me in the darkness

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 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to You.

Psalms 139:11 and 12

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Dear Lord, how grateful we are to know this Truth that even the darkness is not dark to You!  Even before time, when You spoke into being the earth and the stars, there was darkness…but not to You!  Truly You separated the dark from the light and spoke into being day and night!  You are the Almighty, the all-powerful, the Everlasting God.  You and only You could do this!  And we are so awestruck and amazed!  May we hold this Truth in our minds and hearts when we are tempted to think we can be separated from You by the darkness of this world…that darkness is as light to You!  You are our Great God, the Creator…we love You and adore You!  And praise You praying in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Charles Spurgeon penned the following prayer…
“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me.
Dense darkness may oppress me, but it cannot shut me out from thee, or thee from me. Thou seest as well without the light as with it, since thou art not dependent upon light which is thine own creature, for the full exercise of thy perceptions. Moreover, thou art present with me whatever may be the hour; and being present you discover all that I think, or feel, or do. Men are still so foolish as to prefer night and darkness for their evil deeds; but so impossible is it for anything to be hidden from the Lord that they might just as well transgress in broad daylight.

Darkness and light in this agree;
Great God, they’re both alike to thee.
Thine hand can pierce thy foes as soon
Through midnight shades as blazing noon.”

(quoted from Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David)

Let Your Light Shine

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In the same way, let your light shine before men,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 HCSB

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it?  ‘Let your light shine….’  Letting our light shine is complex but can become easier if we consider two simple points regarding light:

1) What is the source?   2) What does it do?

Jesus told us He is the source of our light:

Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12(HCSB)

While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
John 9:5 (NASB)

Jesus is the only Source of our light.  Ephesians 5:8 (NLT) states “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”  His Light shines through us.

So what does light do?  It expels the darkness.  It illuminates…and that’s what we are called to do.  Others must see the Light of Christ in us before we can share His Light with them.

Philippians 2:15b (NASB) says we are to be “…children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…”.

Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

“Poor world, poor world, it is dark and gropes in midnight
and it cannot get light except it receives it through us.”

We must not hide His Light.  If we do, it is of no benefit to anyone but ourselves.  Jesus intended His Light to shine in us to dispel the darkness of those around us and to illuminate His great love for them.  We are to be intentional in letting this Light of love shine.  Otherwise,

“Hear this, ye humble men and women, ye who have made no figure in society,
ye are the light of the world. If ye burn dimly,
dim is the world’s light, and dense its darkness.”
– Charles Spurgeon

Does the Light of Jesus shine through you or has it been dimmed?

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Father, thank You for the light of Jesus shining in me. Do not let it be dimmed. Remind me to share Your light and Your love with those around me. In Your precious name, Amen – So be it!

God’s Condescension

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He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.
Psalm 113:6 NLT

Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!
Psalm 113:6 AMP

As I was researching this verse, I kept coming across the phrase “God’s condescension.” I did not like the way that sounded. Who thinks of God as condescending? To me, condescending meant ‘patronizing superiority’.  But biblically it means the exact opposite. I looked it up in several biblical dictionaries and found that condescension means ‘gentleness, meekness, or humility’.  It is used to describe God’s benevolence towards us.

Think of it this way—God’s glory is above all things, even the heavens.  Job 5:15 says: “Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight” (NASB).  Yet, He never neglects any of His creations.  Psalm 138:6 puts it this way: “Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly” (NKJ).  He gives us His constant care and attention. God is aware of even the smallest of details.  Psalm 11:4 tells us: “The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; He examines everyone.”  There is not one thing that He does not see, guide, and direct (as if there is nothing else to demand His attention).

What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Psalm 8:4 NASB

Lord, what is man that You take notice of him? Or [the] son of man that You take account of him?
Psalm 144:3 AMP

Who are we that God should be so mindful of us?  Job 36:5 reminds us: “Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial.”  He is infinitely perfect and all-sufficient; and yet, it pleases Him to think of us.  He stoops from His throne on high to lay His hand upon us. God chooses to open Himself to us. Humble beyond any comparison, He stoops to offer us reconciliation.

In the words of Charles Spurgeon:
“It is God making Himself little which is the cause of our being made great.”

If that doesn’t blow you away, nothing ever will!

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Father God, I stand amazed and in awe of You. That You, to whom even the heavens are unclean, should stoop down and take notice of me. Mere words will never adequately express the gratefulness and appreciation I feel that You should humble Yourself on my behalf. Thank You Father. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray – Amen, so be it!