A few weeks ago we were visiting some friends for an evening of playing cards. When we got ready to leave, it was close to 11:00 p.m. and very dark outside. As we backed out of their driveway, we noticed the light shining out of their front windows into the darkness. I mentioned to my husband that it was interesting because there was no way that the darkness could enter into those windows of light as long as the lights were on. Only the light could enter the darkness.
As a Christian, this is an interesting thought since Jesus said in Matt. 5:14, "You are the light of the world." Ephesians 5:8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."
Some of us, though, have forgotten what it was like to "live in darkness". Isaiah 59:9-11 is one of my favorite passages from the Bible as it reminds me what our unsaved friends and relatives are experiencing in the darkness of their lives. It says, "We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as at twilight; we are as dead men in desolate places. We all growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves; we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us." To me, that is the saddest thing I have ever read!!
However, God has called us to be the light to these people lost in darkness. Isaiah 60:1&2 speaks to us about the light God has given us: "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; BUT the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."
Notice in the Isa. 59 passage that these people are "looking for light". When we have a storm at night and our power goes off, the first thing we do is look for "a light". Right? So, this week as we go out into the dark world around us, keep in mind that we have God's light shining out from us - penetrating the darkness with every step we take. Let's use God's glory on our lives to bring salvation to those who are drawn to His light within us.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
How to Break God's Heart!
I was reading the other day in Exodus 20:19-21 an episode with the Israelites and Moses. The people had just witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the smoking mountain - all coming from the presence of God! It frightened them so badly, that they "trembled and stood afar off".
In verse 19 they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." In other words, they were willing to hear what a man had to say about God, but they didn't want to hear it for themselves. It is very much like today when God's people would rather spend their time reading Christian books and devotionals written by men about man's opinions rather than spending time with God in His Word and hearing what God Himself has to say to them.
In verse 20, Moses replied to the people - "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." Moses was saying that the people did not need to fear death from God's presence that day, but that they did need to fear God in the future when it came to sin in their life.
Verse 21 says, "So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was." Here is where they chose to break God's heart. They had no desire to "draw near" to their God as Moses did. Before we ever choose to disobey God and His commandments, we first will make the choice to "not draw near" and to "stand afar off" from God and His Word. We will be content to let our leaders and pastors be the ones to "draw near". We tell them, "You be the ones to speak to us - but don't let God speak with us." As this new week is beginning, let's make God's heart rejoice by our desire to get as close to Him as we possibly can - through our prayers and our own reading of His Word, the Bible.
In verse 19 they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." In other words, they were willing to hear what a man had to say about God, but they didn't want to hear it for themselves. It is very much like today when God's people would rather spend their time reading Christian books and devotionals written by men about man's opinions rather than spending time with God in His Word and hearing what God Himself has to say to them.
In verse 20, Moses replied to the people - "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." Moses was saying that the people did not need to fear death from God's presence that day, but that they did need to fear God in the future when it came to sin in their life.
Verse 21 says, "So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was." Here is where they chose to break God's heart. They had no desire to "draw near" to their God as Moses did. Before we ever choose to disobey God and His commandments, we first will make the choice to "not draw near" and to "stand afar off" from God and His Word. We will be content to let our leaders and pastors be the ones to "draw near". We tell them, "You be the ones to speak to us - but don't let God speak with us." As this new week is beginning, let's make God's heart rejoice by our desire to get as close to Him as we possibly can - through our prayers and our own reading of His Word, the Bible.
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