Category Archives: Darkness

Abiding, Bible, Darkness, Light, Radiance, Scripture

WHAT IS THAT LIGHT?

ZECHARIAH 14:7

“For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at the time of evening there will be light.”

My wife is light sensitive. By that I mean she cannot have lights showing in our bedroom at night. If they are, she can’t sleep. She covers up the lights from the tv and cable box. There are no night lights in our room. If I have to get up at night (and at my age that is happening more and more, lol), I had better hold on to the bed or dresser to find my way. Things do go bump in the night, and they are usually me.

This day referred to in today’s verse will only be known to the LORD. Remember Christ’s words in Mark 13:22. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Only He knows and will reveal it to His Son at the appointed time. Well, the time has come in this verse. The light referred to at the end of the verse, “at the time of evening there will be light,” is none other than the Lord Himself.

APPLICATION

In Revelation 21:23 we read, “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Of course, this is referring to the new heaven and the new earth, but this is still the God of light. We are told this in 1 John 1:5. “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

Do you prefer to walk in darkness or light? Where do you feel the safest? Most of us would say the light. It’s pretty simple to walk in the light of God’s Word. You have to spend time in it, studying and meditating on it. You have to incorporate it into your life. It has to be the thing that drives you.

Mind you, you have to follow what it says, not what you think it says or want it to say. You can make the Scriptures fit into your theology very easily. We see that way too much today in our society. Those who do that are walking in darkness, not the light. We have the light. Use it.

One day, Lord, You will shine over the whole earth making it all seem as day.

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Abiding, Appearance, Bible, Darkness, Light, Scripture, Shining

LIGHTS OUT

ZECHARIAH 14:6

“On that day there will be no light; the luminaries will die out.” 

Once when I was preparing to fly home from Nairobi, Kenya, all the power at the airport went out. That’s not extremely unusual for Kenya, but it is for the airport. They have backup generators that normally kick in. Not this time, and this was at around 11:00 at night. Let me tell you – it was DARK. I instantly grabbed my bag, hugged it and sat motionless. I could not see my hand in front of my face.

“On that day” we are told in today’s verse, when all the activity just mentioned in verses 1-5 happens, all the light will go out in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. All the stars, the moon, the sun, all the “luminaries” will go dark. Isaiah says it well it 13:9-10. “9 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash their light; the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light.”

APPLICATION

Prepare yourself. That’s all I can say. We live in a dark world riddled with sin. But that darkness will seem as light on this day of judgment. But I have good news. We are the light of the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14-16, “‘14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’”

Paul goes on to tell us in Ephesians, “for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” Will you shine today? Will you light up the darkness around you? How do you do that? Simply, be Jesus. Live with joy. As Bonhoeffer said, “Live your life as a believer so unbelievers will question their unbelief.”

All you have to do is submit to Jesus today. Let Him live through you. After all, it’s not your light that is shining. It is His light that shoots its beams out your mouth and out your eyes. You don’t believe me? Try it. And look for others around you who are shining and encourage them today.

Father of lights, shine through me in a dark world. 

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Affection, Bible, Crying, Darkness, Death, Despair, Grief, Mourning, Scripture, Tears

WAILING

ZECHARIAH 11:2

“Wail, juniper, because the cedar has fallen, for the magnificent trees have been destroyed; wail, oaks of Bashan, because the impenetrable forest has come down.”

Have you ever heard someone wail? What is that? It’s a loud scream or howl. It has the sound as if someone is dying. It’s an extreme mournful sound. I have heard that sound several times in my life. All of them came at the scene of death. Someone had died and their loved ones were wailing at the thought of never seeing them again. It’s a gut-wrenching sound.

Zechariah continues the imagery of trees and their representation of Israel, the temple and its leaders. If the temple (cedar) has fallen, then the juniper and oaks (their leaders) would certainly fall. The word for “wail” here is used exclusively by the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Ezekiel, and Amos also employ the use of this descriptive word.

APPLICATION

What are you wailing about? What has you so upset that you can’t eat or drink? I have seen believers who were so upset they could not function. If that is you, may I encourage you to dry your tears and turn your thoughts towards Jesus. He is the author and finisher of your faith. He can restore what you have lost in His own way.

There have been a couple of times in my life when I found myself wailing from deep, personal heartache. We are told in Revelation 21:4, “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Do you believe that? Then trust Him now.

Instead of tears of heartache, I prefer tears of joy. I would rather have tears of repentance than tears of mourning. So, are you wailing? Let your wails be wails of repentance over your sins. Wail to God for Him to forgive you. Wail to Him over the way you have not followed Him as you should. But trust Him in the midst of the wailings. God never runs out of Kleenex to wipe away your tears.

Thank You, Lord, for wiping my tears. I want to wail only over my sins and trust You with all my life.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Confession, Darkness, Fellowship, Forgiveness, God's Will, Power, Scripture

FROZEN SUN AND MOON

HABAKKUK 3:11

“Sun and moon stood in their lofty places; they went away at the light of Your arrows, at the radiance of Your flashing spear.”

June 21 is normally the longest daylight day of the year where I live. The sun seems to hang in the sky forever. But I cannot imagine the scene in Joshua 10 when the sun literally stood still. “12Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day when the LORD turned the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, ‘Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, at the Valley of Aijalon!’ 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day. 14 There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.”

Habakkuk, perhaps, is recalling that story. He knows God has that kind of power. His point in today’s verse is to remind the people of God’s omnipotence. He even holds the sun and moon in His hand and does with them as He wishes. If that is so, then surely, He can handle what they are going through.

APPLICATION

What do you believe? Do you believe God can handle your problems? I told someone this week, “Whatever is over your head is under His feet.” God can and will handle it, in His time. But you must believe. You must trust the God of the universe to carry you through whatever it is you are facing.

My family has been through a lot in the past dozen years. They watched me go through two stem cell transplants for an incurable disease with no guarantee I would pull through. But in the midst of that, we trusted our Lord. We knew whatever happened, He was in control.

The same God who turned His back on His Son and caused the world to go into darkness because of the sin which Jesus took on Him is the same God who will not work in your life as He desires until your sins are confessed and you are in fellowship with Him. Turn to Him today and confess your sins to Him. Let Him wash you clean and work in your life today. Come out of the darkness.

Father, today I bring all my sins and transgressions to You. Forgive me, Lord, and set me back on the right path.

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Accountability, Belief, Bible, Choices, Christ's Return, Darkness, Eternity, Kingdom, Kings, Majesty, Rescue, Salvation, Scripture

CHARIOTS OF SALVATION

HABAKKUK 3:8

“Did the LORD rage against the rivers, or was Your anger against the rivers, or was Your rage against the sea, that You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation?”

All throughout Scripture we see imagery of God with water. In creation, He separated the waters above and the waters below. Then He caused land to appear which further separated the waters on earth. We see Him part the Red Sea and the Jordan River. We see Him gush forth waters from a rock in the wilderness. Water and God have a presence in the Bible that cannot be ignored.

So, it is no wonder that Habakkuk uses that same imagery in his book. But we see something here that is unique. We see the “chariots of salvation.” I can just picture what Habakkuk is describing. God swoops down and rescues His people as if He is riding a chariot. The waters of the Red Sea parting and the flow of Jordan walled up reflect the presence of God moving through and saving His people.

APPLICATION

God is still rescuing us. This is done now through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ didn’t ride through Israel on a chariot. No, He walked and once rode a donkey’s colt. He didn’t come as a ruling king, but rather as a lowly baby in a manger. He lived in Nazareth, the lowliest of the villages in Galilee.

But one day He will return as Judge and King. He will come to reign supremely. And we will reign with Him as joint heirs of His kingdom. Won’t that be a glorious day? But you first have to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. Even though you don’t see a chariot of salvation, you can be assured that He reigns.

As we come closer to Christmas day and prepare to celebrate, don’t forget the saving power of God is as strong today as it ever was. God is still rescuing us from a dark and somber world. He wants us to rejoice with Him that His Son paid the ultimate price. He has truly ridden that chariot of salvation for us.

Open my eyes that I may see Your salvation to the world more clearly. Use me to reach out to those who need to hear.

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Bible, Darkness, Death, Destruction, Devil, Enemies, Fighting, Satan, Scripture

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

HABAKKUK 3:5

“Before Him goes plague, and plague comes forth after Him.”

We all have seen scenes of death and destruction in pictures from wars or disease or famine. Those images burn into our minds. They are hard to forget. We feel helpless to do anything to cause any change. Our hearts break for the families of their loved ones caught in such scenarios.

Habakkuk describes the scene here where death and destruction go before God as He conquers all His enemies. He has sent plagues and pestilence. He used hornets and wild animals. Regardless of His instrument, the result was and is the same. His enemies are destroyed. Nothing can stand before Him. We would do well to remember that.

APPLICATION

People today think they can thumb their nose at God and keep on living as they wish. I don’t have to list the abhorrent lifestyles that are being exhibited everywhere, even in churches. Anything goes. There seems to be no moral compass left in the world. The enemy appears to have totally brainwashed society into believing that God has no say in the affairs of men.

But oh how wrong he is! Just like in Habakkuk’s day, God will rise up and defeat all enemies of the cross. We must remain faithful and true. We must continue to share the good news. We have to let our lights shine brightly. Even the smallest light can pierce the darkness. Let it shine.

I refuse to be afraid of those who speak against our Savior. I refuse to allow their disregard for God dampen my passion for Him. I am called to be a soldier of the cross, so I will wield my sword and give my life to advance His kingdom here on earth. I know my God has my back and will be victorious.

Your enemies will scatter, Lord. All You have to do it show up!

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Abuse, Bible, Darkness, Evil, Flesh, Holiness, Justice, Purity, Scripture

DEBAUCHERY

HABAKKUK 2:15

“‘Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink; to you who mix in your venom even to make your neighbors drunk, so as to look at their genitalia!’”

I have read too many case files of child abuse. Just when I thought I had heard it all, I would get another case with even darker sins exposed. Actions taken against children anger me. To see their innocence robbed of them makes me scream for justice. One day all those perpetrators will receive their just reward.

The third woe has begun, and this one is against such abuse of others. Getting others drunk in order to leer at their nakedness or even abuse them was abhorrent to God. These Chaldeans were a wicked bunch of people and used their power over their enemies to abuse them.

APPLICATION

You are probably not going to carry out such actions on another person. At least I hope you wouldn’t. But we can be just as sinful in our minds. Jesus told us to even look at a woman with lust in our hearts is a sin. That goes for women looking at men as well. You may not be getting them drunk and abusing them, but you are sinning against them just as much.

How do you protect yourself from such base desires of the flesh? By filling your mind with His Word. The more of His Word we have memorized and studied, the more weapons we have to fight off those evil desires of the heart. It takes discipline and effort to memorize Scripture, but the payoff is one hundred fold.

Why don’t you make a plan to start memorizing one verse a week? That’s not hard to do if you are determined to do it. There are many tools you can use, including some pretty, cool Bible apps to help. As you begin to do this, you will find those impure thoughts become less and less because your mind is flooded with pure things. Give it a try.

Fill my mind with Your Words, O Lord. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.

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Bible, Darkness, Light, Relationships, Scripture

MY LIGHT 

MICAH 7:8 

“Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall I will rise; though I live in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.” 

I was traveling recently and put my cap light in one of the pouches in my backpack. I did not know it, but the button got pressed and my light was beaming through the side of my backpack. This Is a rechargeable light, and the red blinking light indicated it was about to go out. 

Micah knows that whatever may come his way, “the LORD is a light” to him. I love the imagery Micah uses. Though he may fall, he will rise. Though he may have to live in darkness, God is his light. That kind of mindset is rare. Most folks just see the darkness. 

APPLICATION 

Where are you doing today? Are you living in darkness with seemingly no hope? God is your light. He can shine on the path you need to take. Have you fallen down and do not seem to be able to get up? God can lift you. There is no hole too deep for God. There is darkness which His light cannot penetrate. 

And because He does those things, we should shine our light. If you are a believer, you have a light. The brightness of that light is not up to you. It is God’s light. But we can sure try to dull it, can’t we? 

The Lord has brought me through some dark times. I have never needed to check His batteries. His light always shines. It is never dull or in need of replacement. His light is always available through the Spirit that reigns in us. 

Lord, I do not deserve Your light. Shine on me. 

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Allegiance, Battles, Belief, Bible, Blasphemy, Darkness, Devil, Evil, Godliness, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Idols, Satan, Scripture

SORCERY FORBIDDEN

MICAH 5:12

“‘I will eliminate sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.’”

I will never forget the evening when I lived in Lakeland, FL when my wife and I decided to go to the local outdoor mall. It was new to Lakeland and had become a major evening and weekend destination because of the shops, restaurants and entertainment. We were walking along, and while my wife looked in one shop, I decided to step into this store that caught my attention. As I walked in, a chill ran up my spine. All I saw was occultic images and products. I ran out of that store as fast as I could. Such darkness.

This is what the Lord is cutting out of the land. No sorcery or fortune telling would be allowed. These were based in the pagan idolatry of the land, the very thing the Lord had warned the people of when they came into the Promised Land. Nothing had changed. These evil practices were still around and were now going to be purged. Evil was evil then and still is now.

APPLICATION

So many Christians today dabble in the occult, thinking it is frivolous or meaningless. Satan loves for us to believe that. I am not saying that a demon is going jump out of the Ouija board and tackle you to the ground, but the devil has a way to hook us into this stuff. Tarot cards and astrology are still listed in God’s eyes as sorcery and fortune-telling. That has not changed.

If you are into these things or have been in the past, let me urge you to put them down and confess that as sin. Renounce any allegiance you had to these items and get rid of them. Burn them if you can. Does this all sound extreme? You bet. Our battle with the forces of darkness is real and extreme. You must have your armor on and be free from any form of darkness.

Once you do that and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, He will make you very sensitive to these things. You will be able to recognize any form of idolatry. God wants you and me to walk in holiness, free from the entanglements of evil. Walking free is so much easier than dragging around a chain of darkness.

O Father, thank You for protecting me from evil. I know You have my back at all times.

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Abiding, Bible, Darkness, Devil, Evil, Persecution, Satan, Scripture, Victors

VICTORY THROUGH PERSECUTION

MICAH 5:6

“They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and He will rescue us from the Assyrian when he invades our land, and when he tramples our territory.”

The persecuted church is a real thing. We do not see it much here in the U.S., but it is happening all over the world. Satan thinks he can destroy us. He thinks he can defeat the church and thereby destroy Christ. It is not possible. We have seen time and time again how the church has risen up in the midst of persecution.

Micah says here in today’s verse that although the nations are coming against them, their Chief Shepherd will arise and defeat them. “The land of Nimrod” refers to Babylon, which succeeded Assyria in its persecution of Israel and Judah. But God took the fight to them and defeated them. He will do the same for us.

APPLICATION

The battle belongs to the Lord. We have no power to defeat darkness. It can overwhelm any of us. But thanks be to God, He can defeat the darkest dark. His light can pierce through and enlighten those deep crevices where evil lurks. Our part in the fight is to cling to Him.

Clinging is hard, though. We want to venture out and sling our sword at anything that moves. We are just like the foot soldier. We must wait for our orders. Only then may we go out, in His power, to attack and defend the faith. It is His battle, and we are His vessels.

When I finally realized that the battle, much less the war, was not mine to fight, I was able to rest. It is not up to me. God’s got this! He knows exactly how to defeat the evil one. He will equip us and prepare us, but we must not try to do this on our own. Will you rest in Him today?

Lord, thank You for fighting for me. I will rest in Your capable hands.

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