The Purpose of Light and Dark

I'm a dark chocolate fan.  I really don't like white chocolate much at all, but the intensity and bitterness of the dark chocolate is such a great foil to the sweetness.  But this blog isn't about chocolate.  :)  I recently read this concerning light and dark, and I admit it's just beginning thoughts, but I'll restrain myself to these initial observations:

"God spoke: "Light!" and light appeared.  God saw that light was good and separated light from dark."

then this....

"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all"

then this..

"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light..."

If God is light, and light is good, why the darkness? There will come a day when there will be no more darkness.  Can you imagine that?  Nothing hidden, nothing scary, all illumined.  But in the meantime, we live with darkness as a part of our existence.

What if darkness was given to us to continually put us in the tension of choosing light?

Perhaps darkness is the test that leads to our testimony.

What if the church wasn't made to "be perfect" in the first place, but to grow into perfection? 

I once was afraid of the dark, but no longer.  At one time I settled within myself that God created everything, and I trust Him, so I am not afraid.  I don't always like the dark, I like to see clearly, but being in the dark has taught me some things:

• I have learned to look for the light and to move towards it
• I have learned to keep focused on it so I don't lose sight of it
• I have learned to carry light with me in case I encounter darkness
• I have learned that God is in the dark as much as He is in the light and I needn't fear
• I have learned to use my other senses when in the dark - we are so visually dependent, that our other senses sometimes become dull

 Jesus came to give sight to the blind, to bring light to their darkness.  There's a world that loves darkness and hides in it, that shrinks back from the light, but it's light they need.  It's light we are called to walk in, light we are called to broadcast as "cities on a hill" or "lamps on a lampstand". 

This is my encouragement today - don't be afraid of the dark, but embrace the light, run towards it, hold onto it, and spread it around. 

It's too easy to focus on what's dark.  Let's focus on the light and see it push back the darkness!

The Holy Spirit Abides With You and In You

There is an incredible promise in the Bible, a red-letter, direct-from-Jesus promise for you and I to grab hold of receive right now.  There is no special atmosphere to set, people, activity or hoop to jump through in order to receive it.  It comes directly from the Father through His Son, Jesus.

"And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--"

The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter/Counselor/Helper/Intercessor/Advocate/Strengthener, and Standby is promised to us, that HE will abide with US forever.

I don't know about you, but in times of personal weakness I have felt concern over whether the Holy Spirit was still hanging around with me.  Maybe I wasn't living "right" enough for Him to be with me.  This verse assures me, He is with me forever!

There is only one qualification for this - that I love and follow Jesus.

"If you love Me, keep [obey] my commandments.  And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you  know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Many people in the world profess to love Jesus [He's a great guy/teacher/prophet], but here love is defined in the truest sense - it moves us to action which supports our profession of love.  If I love Jesus, my life will follow Him, I will no longer live for myself [nor for other people].

Notice that it says He DWELLS....He's not going anywhere.  If I love and follow Jesus, He is glued to me.  I can't shake Him. He lives with me.  I'm His P.O. box, His address on earth.

It also says, he dwells WITH me and will be IN me [the IN happened at pentecost, Acts 2, fulfilling Jesus promise].  With and In.  He's with me and in me because I love and follow Jesus.  With and In.  Inside and outside.  There are no times when He's not there.  I don't have to issue a special invitation every time I want to hang with Him.  He is there.

So, what if I'm not feeling it?  Set your heart to love and follow Jesus.  Begin to think on Him, sing songs of love to Him, align your heart to His.  The Holy Spirit is right there.  Can you feel Him?