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Douglas Frank Photograph |
Darkness
into Light
Light is
shining in 263 verses in Scripture. Yet sadly dark or darkness shows up 350
times. Why is that? Because God showed up and created light out of the
darkness. Yet man seems to like the darkness to hide and stay out of God’s perceived
judgment. However, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God
is light; in Him
there is no darkness at
all” (1 John
1:5). Light is healing and brings all
into view, including evil. That is the problem as I see it for man. We just
don’t seem to want light shining on our dark places. This is tragically sad,
because God did not come into the world to condemn but to save and heal. By His
wounds on the cross Isaiah tells us “our wounds are healed.” But the
vast majority of mankind will have none of that or His peace. We seem to prefer
pain and greed, envy and angst against ourselves and other people. Now that is
not just a negative view, it is what the Bible tells us from Genesis to
Revelation. There always has been a solution. “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light” (2 Samuel 22:29).
The
hurricanes and earthquakes have been literally biblical in proportion. Strange
thing is that the awful and dark news coverage the days before they hit,
although covering devastation, also covered man-helping man. Compassion and
caring hands have dominated the news. For the first time, my hospital patients
have commented with a sense of hope at the helpfulness demonstrated to one
another. The topic of this essay is light in the darkness; hope is the face of
despair. The world is living in despair that is the lot of the unredeemed. It
is the land of Job before he saw God, “to the land of deepest night, of
utter darkness and
disorder, where even the light is like darkness.” (Job 10:22). Satan as God Himself allowed devastated Job, a special man of
God. I believe people have looked at that story and sadly come away believing
that God is hateful and punishing, full of darkness and not light. But actually
the opposite is true. “He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light” (Job 12:22). Job finally saw the revealed Creator God,
bringing darkness to light and good out of evil. That is a constant thread in
the Bible from its first written book, Job.
Sadly
today our society is fractionated into tribes, like in ancient and warring
cultures. Again tragically it is the plight of mankind unless they look up,
repent and find salvation or redemption from evil, darkness and sin. “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and
compassionate and righteous” (Psalm 112:4). This psalm is the eulogy of the upright like
Psalm 1 that characterizes the man who like a tree is planted in the living
water of God’s word. This is the story of Christmas and the need for God to
incarnate as Jesus Christ, born into the world to suffer as a living sacrifice
for mankind that we might see the face of God and seek Him in His
righteousness. This is the true story that the Prophet Isaiah foretells 700 years
before His birth saying, “The
people walking in darkness have
seen a great light; on those
living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).
Today, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Today God’s light and love is present
even in the disasters and political battling. Yes, it is horrific and difficult
to observe and experience. But God has come to redeem the world and nothing can
overcome Him and His loving power made perfect in our weakness. So,“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father
in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts.