Evidence of Darkness

 

I would find myself saying it almost on repeat to several different people in many different conversations in the last several weeks.

“Light exposes darkness.  And the closer you become to Jesus, the uglier the world becomes.”

And I had this thought just this morning, when God so lovingly answered the cry of my heart, “Show me something you want me to see.”

Isaiah 51.
Three times within the first half of the prophesy we read the words, “Listen to Me.”
It’s a call to trust the Lord.

And verse 4 says this, “Listen to Me, My people.  Hear Me, Israel, for My law will be proclaimed, and My justice will become light to the nations.”

Light to the nations.

Wow.
Do we need light to the nations or what?

And any time I talk with someone who is discouraged by what they see… something deep inside of me celebrates the discovery.  Something in me revels at their revelation.

Because our perception of the darkness is evidence of our awareness of light.
The more aware we are at the damage evil decisions are having on our nation as a result of ungodly leadership, and unholy actions that tear the moral fabric of our God-centered foundation, the more this confirms our growing intimacy with the Father.
The One who will not compromise… nor allow His people to either.

And so we can celebrate, too, our ongoing and increasing intolerance of the grievances that break His heart.

Because when we see darkness… when we look out in the world around us and can mourn the injustice and the repulsiveness, then we have reason to rejoice that He has given us enough inner light to see clearly the very things that ought to bring us one again to our knees in  intercession and repentance.

John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

2 Cor 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Eph 5:13, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible--and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

Eph 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

John 3:19-20, “God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.”

Be encouraged, friend.  If you can see darkness, it means Light is in the room.  The Light… our Savior… is inside of you!