Shining in the Darkness

Our world is in chaos. Some are sick, even dying, others are facing another month of unemployment, wondering how they will pay their bills. Many are isolated from those dearest to them. As summer nears, the sun shines bright and warm and the days grow longer, but the world still feels immersed in darkness.

I am reminded of the passage in Exodus 10, where God brought the plague of darkness upon the Egyptians. It was a supernatural darkness, a darkness unlike any they had experienced before. The Bible says it was "darkness which may be felt". The land was covered with "thick darkness", but notice the difference between the Israelites' homes and the homes of the Egyptians:

"They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings"

Exodus 10:23 

The world around them was dark, the people isolated and afraid, yet the darkness couldn't touch God's people. 

This may seem like a dark time to those around us, but in reality, the light of God's goodness, sovereignty, love, mercy, and every other attribute of God is still shining, for God does not change. He is not hindered by any part of our current crisis. He is still at work, still powerful, still loving.

"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee."

Psalm 139:11-12

Nothing --not even the darkness of a world thrown into crisis-- can come between us and the love of God. As Romans 8:38-39 states,

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

When the world looks dark to you, look to Christ, for He is the Light of the world. In fact, I John 1:5 says,

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

It is only in our relationship with God that we can keep the darkness at bay. While others wallow in hopelessness and depression, we can confidently live in hope, joy, and the certainty that God will use all this for good. After all, in God there is "no darkness at all".

But we aren't just supposed to keep this light to ourselves. Unlike the Israelites so long ago, we are not just to enjoy the light, but to shine it into the lives of others. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus commands us:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

The darker the world seems to those around us, the more they realize their need of the light, and the more opportunity there is for radiating the light of Christ into the darkness of those around us.

So how does God want you to shine your light into someone's darkness today?

Inviting God In

Ever have one of those moments when the Holy Spirit draws your attention to a step of spiritual growth and says "How about you?"--I don't mean audibly, of course, but it never ceases to amaze me how clear that "still, small voice" can be.

The other day, I was working on editing a recent project, when I ran across a sentence I had written that hit me like I'd never seen it before. It had to do with the idea of inviting God into one's smallest needs and desires, and it was like God was pointing to that sentence and saying, "You could do that."

I could tell it was something that God wanted me to spend some time on, so I wrote the thought down on a sticky note and stuck it to the journal I write in when I spend my hour with God each morning, knowing that it would take more time than I had just then to do the kind of thinking and praying God wanted me to do over the idea.


Throughout the day, and into the evening, the thought would come to mind and I would stop and pray, asking God how I could invite Him into even my smallest wants and needs. I found myself asking, "What would that look like?"

An example came to mind of a time when I had actually done this. It was over a year ago now, and I was at a store. I had recently marked a milestone in my life, and when I came across a Christmas ornament highlighting that particular milestone, I was suddenly struck by the thought, If Grandma were still alive, she would have gotten me one like that for Christmas.  I had actually picked up the ornament, intending to buy it for myself, when something stopped me, and I put the ornament back.

 God had been teaching me a lot about finding comfort in Him just then, and I decided that, instead of buying the ornament, I would tell God about it, and see what He would do.

I still can't quite explain how I came to that decision; it was all the work of a moment, but I walked away from that display with a sweet and peaceful expectation that either God would prompt someone to get one for me (which would be far nicer than buying one for myself), or that He would instead give me contentment with whatever He had planned.I didn't tell anyone else about the ornament, because I wanted it to be clearly from God if I got one. --I suppose it was a sort of exercise of faith.

Anyway, I never got the ornament, and I had even forgotten about it until the other day. What I did get while I waited, however, was a sweet sense of closeness with God --the delight of sharing a secret with only Him. Looking back, I can see that if I had just taken that desire into my own hands -insignificant though it seemed- I would never have had that experience of inviting God in and enjoying the delight of expectation that God would provide what was best.

When we are particularly close to someone, we tell them things we would never tell just anyone. We tell them about all the small, insignificant things that matter to us.When we are close to God, we do the same thing. There is nothing too small to take to Him, just as there is nothing too big. The smaller the need or want we bring to God, the closer we will feel to Him .

But it's not just things we need or things we want that we can bring to God; we can also bring our gratefulness for even the smallest of blessings. Even if we can see nothing else to be thankful for, we can always be thankful for salvation, for the gift of life itself, the very fact of God's love and care, --one could go on and on, for God has given each of us so many blessings!

When we invite God into our thoughts, even when they are insignificant and mundane, we are opening our hearts to Him more and more. And the more we are in the habit of talking to God about everything, the easier it becomes to invite God in to our hearts and minds when we are tempted. Inviting God into our moment of temptation helps us to be victorious, for it invites to our battle the One who has already won the war. (I Cor. 15:57)

In 2 Thessalonians 5:16, we are commanded, "Pray without ceasing". By inviting God into our thoughts --whatever they may be about-- we are, in effect, praying. Even if we do not have our heads bowed or our eyes closed, it is prayer nevertheless, because it turns our internal conversation with ourselves into a conversation with God.

So, what is it that God wants you to invite Him into? You'll be amazed what blessings come from simply telling to Jesus your simplest desires, your smallest thanksgivings, your most fleeting temptations.

Tell it all to Him. 

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."
I Peter 5:7

What Do We Do With the Rest?

It was just a simple question, almost spoken in passing during one of Pastor's sermons. But it struck me at the time, and I wrote it down in my sermon notes.

I don't even remember the exact context of it now. I only know that the Holy Spirit used it to cause me to examine how I had used the days of "rest" during Christmas break. As I ran across this question again this week, I was reminded of the responsibility we all have to use the times of rest God gives us wisely and well.

This current crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us somewhat -if not completely- isolated, and has cleared our schedules of the external things with which we keep ourselves so busy.

So what have we done with this opportunity to rest? Have we kept ourselves busy worrying? Have we filled up our extra time with binge-watching or social media, trying to numb loneliness or fear? Have we continued to rush from distraction to distraction, or have we used this time to rest in the Lord; to be still before Him? Have we brought our burdens and fears to Him, then enjoyed the rest of knowing that He has heard and will act for our good?

As the world around us has ground to a halt, have we allowed ourselves to slow down as well?

Being too busy has become somewhat of a habit for me, and it has taken a concerted effort for me to let myself slow down and accept this season of rest. Yet I know that God has provided it for a reason, and means for it to draw me closer to Him.

I have to be careful, lest I overcrowd my days with things that distract from the Lord, but that is not the only danger during seasons of rest. We might be as equally prone to squandering the season of rest by doing nothing. This week, I have struggled to stay motivated to do what I know I need to be doing.

 It often takes just as much effort to say "yes" to what God wants us to spend time on as it does to say "no" to things He wants us to avoid.

I have found that God sometimes gives me rest by having me do something that I might not think will promote rest. For example, I usually take a nap on Sunday afternoons (doesn't everyone?). However, during this time when I have more opportunity for physical rest, I have found it helpful to use that time on Sundays for extra Bible reading and study instead. This has helped me rest spiritually and physically, since giving up my nap makes me more tired when it's time to sleep.

Whatever your season of rest looks like, it has come with a responsibility, and we must each ask ourselves, "What do we do with the rest?" The answer will be a bit different for each person, and requires that we spend time being still before the Lord, asking Him to direct us throughout each day.

As always, the key is to stay focused on God and submitted to His will -even in our times of rest.

"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." 

Matthew 11:28-29

Joy in the Midst of Crisis

Our world is in a state of crisis. It is a crisis with the potential to reach into our very homes, putting us and those we love dearest in peril of our lives. These are indeed serious times.

Yet because of the seriousness and the universality of the crisis we are facing, it is more important than ever that Christians maintain a Christlike outlook on what God has allowed at the global, national, state, and personal levels of our lives.

So how do we do this? How is a Christian to face a time of crisis such as we are living in? Hebrews 12:2 gives us the answer:

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

We can in this crisis, as in all others, take Jesus' conduct as the example of what our own should be. Jesus faced crisis. He was betrayed by a friend, wrongfully arrested, falsely accused, found innocent multiple times, but then sentenced to the cruelest of executions, having been passed over for a pardon in favor of an undoubtedly guilty murderer. He was beaten, mocked, made to carry a heavy cross uphill to the place of His execution, He had nails driven into His hands and feet, and then endured the agony of the cross.


And how did He handle it? This Hebrews passage, as well as the Gospel accounts, indicate that Jesus faced this enormous load of suffering calmly, patiently, and confidently. He saw the shame of the injustice of His trial and suffering as nothing. He despised it -that is, He saw it as insignificant in comparison with all it would accomplish.

The reason He was able to thus dismiss the shame of His trial and endure the weight of His suffering, is "for the joy that was set before Him". Jesus looked ahead to the joy that would come as a result of His suffering.

Matthew Henry says: "He rejoiced to see that by His sufferings He should make satisfaction to the injured justice of God, that He should make peace between God and man, that He should open a way of salvation."*

The joy of what God would do through the crisis is what kept Jesus going throughout all the suffering He endured for us; It is that same joy that can keep us going through our current crisis, and any other crises we may face.

We can face sickness, suffering, even death with the calm assurance that God's Word is true, that Romans 8:28 is not just a hope, but a reality!

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

 My pastor commented on Hebrews 12:2 once in a sermon, and I thought what he said was particularly striking. He made the statement: "Christ's joy insulates us from the happenings of life."*

Think about that. It insulates, but does not remove. The joy set before Christ didn't remove the suffering He was to endure; but it did insulate Him from the spiritual effects of that suffering by placing it within a greater purpose. He felt the physical and emotional pain, but bore it with spiritual grace and fortitude because He knew what it would accomplish.

Our current crisis has a greater purpose. We know that because we know that God has already promised to use it for good to those who love Him. --COVID-19 is included in "all things", right? Then we can trust that God will do as He has said and use it for good.

The world is watching us, to see how we respond. Will they see us gripped by fear and worry, depression and despair, or will they see us respond with joyful grace and confidence in Christ?




*Matthew Henry: Matthew Henry's Commentary p. 1926
*Dr. Ben Jaquith, from a sermon Oct. 20, 2019

The Heart of Christ's Sufferings

It is easy to look at Christ's suffering as just a fact. Something that happened, and now is done. It is a fact, but it is one that deserves our attention as well as our gratitude.

The following verses from Isaiah show just how deep the sufferings of Christ were:

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." 

Isaiah 53:3-5 

Now go back and read that passage again... I'll wait. 

While He was suffering, the very people whose punishment He was taking upon Himself stood there, watching, mocking, having rejected Him and called for His crucifixion. In an even further display of His steadfast love, Christ cries out to God the Father audibly, asking forgiveness for these who had so wronged Him -these for whom He had chosen to suffer.

But Christ's suffering was not just for those present at the crucifixion. It was not even just for the Jewish people: it was for everyone --you and I included. The following verse is so commonly memorized and quoted, sometimes we pass right by it without thinking about it.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

It is not just that Christ suffered, or that He suffered for some; His love and mercy are so great, that He chose to take on Him the punishment for all sin, not just some.

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." 

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

At the very heart of Christ's sufferings is love. Not just love for us on a global level as one might "love" dogs or cats or horses, but individually. Christ took your sin on Himself, that you might be forgiven. 

You see, God is just. His very character requires the punishment of sin. Were God to overlook sin, He would cease to be who He is. Yet God is also merciful. That is why He made a way to satisfy His justice, while still mercifully extending forgiveness to us. 

Sin had to be punished, so Jesus -God Himself- took the punishment. He allowed Himself to bear the punishment for our sin, so that we could have His righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it this way:

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 

Yes, it was love that motivated this substitution. Love unlike anything we would expect.

 "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"

Romans 5:7-8

Christ's love is not based on any merit of our own. That is why we can come to Him as we are: sinners, deserving of God's just punishment. That is how Christ could offer free forgiveness: because His blood has paid the penalty for our sin.

"Much more then, being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

  Romans 5:9-10

 So as you think on Christ's suffering this Resurrection weekend, remember that love for you was at its heart, and your salvation was its aim.

Finding the Purpose of Your Wilderness

Have you ever been in the middle of nowhere? I remember once, on a trip with my sister, driving away from the highway into a terrain of low hills, with nothing but dirt as far as eye could see. It was late summer, and the ground was dry and dusty. The road was good, but the farther we got from “civilization”, the more I began to feel the suffocating feeling of being far from human help with no cell phone signal. 

My imagination began to conjure up “what-ifs”. The car could break down, we could get a flat tire, we could be on the wrong road entirely and not realize it until we ran out of gas, hopelessly far into the wilderness… all this ran through my thoughts within the space of a minute, then sped back through for another lap. Round and round they raced. I asked my sister how long it would be until we got there, and her reply bought me a few seconds of relief before my imagination got to work again. -I was so happy when we finally pulled into the dusty little town to which we were going!

There’s just something about being in a wilderness that is panic-inducing. I think for me it is because in a wilderness I become acutely aware of the fact that I am helpless, needy, lacking necessary resources, and completely cut off from human aid. 

I got to thinking about wildernesses today as I pondered the current state of our world. We are helpless in the face of this virus. We are needy and lacking necessary resources as workers are forced to stay home and companies reel with both the loss of business and a lack of workers. In addition to our economic resources, some other daily resources are in short supply: grocery stores have been out of staple food items, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. Healthcare professionals in many places are facing a lack of masks, equipment, and medicine. 

As so many states and nations issue stay-at-home orders and social distancing has become the norm, we have become a people cut off from human aid, both physically and emotionally. We cannot gather together in person for encouragement or socialization, we cannot reach out to touch another person for fear of imparting or receiving a deadly illness. As masks become a more widespread precaution, we are even unable to smile at others when we do see them out in public.

Yes, this moment in history does feel very much like a wilderness.

And yet, did you know that God often takes His servants into a wilderness in order to fulfill a specific purpose? A quick scan of Scripture reveals many of God’s servants being sent into a wilderness for several purposes. Perhaps God will use one of these to encourage you today about your corner of the wilderness!

    1.      To meet with God

Moses was sent into the wilderness, where he met God, who spoke to him from the midst of a burning bush. It was in this encounter that Moses’ walk with God began. As far as I can tell from Scripture, Moses went into the wilderness viewing God solely as the God of his fathers, distant and impersonal. But by the time he left the wilderness, God was his own God, the God whom he now served and spoke with directly.

Perhaps this is you. Perhaps your wilderness is for the purpose of making God your own, of beginning or developing a true relationship with Him. Perhaps God has slowed your life down so that you will have no excuse but to take time to get to know Him.

    2.      To build your faith:

Israel spent over 40 years in the wilderness. Yes, it was in judgement for their unbelief and disobedience when they first got to the land, but God always has a loving purpose behind His judgements. He is just, but He is also merciful.

In the wilderness, their faith was tested and built over and over again. With every fresh difficulty came a fresh opportunity to learn to trust God, and to see that He is trustworthy.

The Disciples also found themselves in a wilderness at one point, and it was there that they brought to Jesus a lack of resources. They didn’t have food for the multitude, and it was too far for them all to walk to the nearest supply, but Jesus did a miracle and showed them that He was not hindered by their lack of resources.

Perhaps God is giving you an opportunity to learn to really trust Him. Look around you. Are there difficulties you can’t solve yourself? Those are the difficulties in which your faith can be the most effectively built as you learn firsthand that God is worthy to be trusted. God often removes our resources so that we can learn to trust Him to provide, just as the disciples had to trust Jesus to feed a multitude with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. (Matt. 14)

    3.      To prepare you for service

David spent years in the wilderness watching sheep, during which time God was preparing him to fight Goliath. He then spent years in the wilderness again while running from Saul, and was prepared to be king by the development of his leadership skills and the strengthening of his character. But more importantly, both of David’s wilderness periods were preparing his heart by teaching him first of all to delight in God, and then to wait upon God. He was being prepared spiritually as well as physically and mentally.

John the Baptist also lived in the wilderness until it was time for his ministry to begin. His was a solitary time, so far as I can gather, and it prepared him to hold fast to the truth God had for him to proclaim, no matter if people agreed with him or not. It prepared him to be bold with the truth and to stand firm, even when it meant prison and death.

Perhaps this time is a solitary time in which God desires to knit your heart to Himself, preparing you for later ministry through this time of decreased distractions. Perhaps the lack of human companionship is meant to teach you to delight in God, and perhaps the uncertainty of this time is meant to teach you to wait upon Him. (A book I’ve been listening to recently is Waiting on God by Andrew Murray. I highly recommend it!)

    4.      For Victory

Jesus Himself was led into the wilderness, not just to fast for forty days, not just to be tempted by Satan at the end of that time, but, --perhaps most importantly-- to have victory over temptation and the tempter.

Perhaps your corner of the wilderness is a corner fraught with temptation. This is the time to get close to God, cry out for His help, search the Scriptures for the truths that combat the lies Satan is using to try to trap you, and to finally experience the victory Christ has already won on your behalf!

Whatever the purpose is in your particular corner of this “wilderness”, know that it is a good purpose, for the will of God is “good, and acceptable, and perfect”. (Romans 12:2) Look to God, and ask Him to show you what He desires to do in your heart. Seek Him, dear reader, for He has promised to be found of you.

“And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart, and I will be found of you, saith the Lord”

Jeremiah 29:13-14a

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Luke 11:10

Book Review: Beyond Stateliest Marble

Yesterday, I finished reading a little volume entitled Beyond Stateliest Marble: the Passionate Femininity of Anne Bradstreet by Douglas Wilson. It is part of a series called "Leaders in Action", from which I have another biography I've never quite been able to get through. I plan to try again, however, after reading this one.

The biographies in this series include several distinct parts, and admittedly, the first section detailing the life and historical times of Anne Bradstreet was a bit dry. (Which is quite a concession from a history nerd, who really appreciated the historical background so carefully given... it just took me awhile to get into it.) After that, however, I was very pleased with the straightforward writing style (even if it was slightly ironic in a book about a poet).

Wilson did a great job of demonstrating just how Anne's Puritan beliefs informed every aspect of her life, and also just what those beliefs were. He dispelled many common myths about the Puritans and backed up his assertions with good historical and Scriptural data.

As a historian, I enjoyed the book and feel like I have a better grasp of where Anne Bradstreet's life and work fit into the broader scope of history. I had tended to imagine her out on her own living on a homestead somewhere, writing poetry constantly, but in fact, she lived in a close-knit colony, which really functioned like a town. She and her community were greatly affected by the political goings-on in England, and it was fascinating to have snippets of Anne's own writings scattered throughout the descriptions of the different turns of events in the English Civil War.

As a writer, I was encouraged by the fact that she did her writing in a few hours here and there, snatched from sleep. She was not a full-time writer by any means. I was also encouraged by the balance her life displayed between fulfilling her God-given duties to home and family, but also using the particular ability God had given her to its fullest.

As a Christian, and particularly as a Christian woman, I was encouraged by how Anne's life displayed not only submission to the authorities in her life and to the roles of daughter, wife, and mother, but also at the utter fulfillment she had in those roles. Wilson says it well, referring to the publication of her first book of poems (which was done without her knowledge):

"The publication of The Tenth Muse revealed Anne Bradstreet's profound humility. She accepted it, and she took pleasure in it. But she did all this without altering the direction and course of her life, and without being distracted by it. Her identity was not that of a poet. She did not adopt poetry as a minor 'career'. She was a wife and a mother, and she used her poetic gifts from the vantage point of that identity. She did not cling to them as a substitute for that identity." (p.91)

Anne Bradstreet's life is remarkable as an example of a woman whose devotion to God fueled every aspect of her life, whether writing, family, or even just how she viewed the world around her. This biography demonstrates the power her godly example had on her family and community, as well as the power it can still have on Christians as we look back to the life she lived as she walked with God.