Dark

We've been having our share of bad weather here in Memphis lately; record flooding (that crept closer and closer to my home...yikes!), and recently some high temperatures and banging t-storms in the afternoon. Typical summer in the South, I guess. I should be used to it, but I still freak out when the power goes out...I mean, it gets hot fast when it's 98* outside and then it gets very dark after sunset...I mean really dark! It's strange how black it gets when every light is out...the timer on the stove~out, the outdoor floodlights~ out, every streetlight~out and it's too dark to find the flashlight lying in the drawer!!! When I do find it and snap it on, the beam is dazzlingly bright...and comforting, too.

Have you ever been in the pitch dark of a horrible situation? Divorce? Sick loved one? Deep depression? Fear of failure or loss? Wounded and hurt emotionally? Man, I have! That kind of darkness is paralyzing; there seems to be no answer, so hope dies and the dark gets deeper.

There is absolutely only ONE "flashlight"... The Word of God, and it's "battery" is faith in what God says to you from His Word. Your obedience to what you've placed your faith in from Scripture will point the light beam toward the way out of the dark or will relieve the despair and panic darkness creates. Absolutely nothing in my life is beyond the control or knowledge of God. He sees perfectly well in the dark, so hug up to Him and don't be afraid of the dark!

Was talking too a very depressed friend tonight. The last 5-6 years had been tough ones full of financial pressures, emotional roller coasters and serious setbacks. Truly he had been through some hard stuff, and I totally understood his depression. What was so troubling, though, was that he couldn't see his oun culpability in any of it...to him, it was all God's fault (or mostly). I've felt like that before. Hard experiences always present the choice between two things: blaming God or trusting God. I'm sad to say that many of us opt for the blame-game...after all, we're good people, trying our best. How could God do this to me?????

After about 3 hours of conversation, and lots of "flare prayers" on my part, he began to admit that he was CHOOSING to refuse to believe that God loved him and only dealt with him from a position of love and would never harm him. The proof of his belief in a spiritual lie was the misery he was living in. Faith in the love of God and trusting Him no matter what the circumstances results in peace and inner joy, because the fear of impending doom is gone and hopefulness returns. That result is proof that you're believing the truth; because truth is part of God and He brings life.

What about you? Your state-of-heart will tell you if you're believing a lie or the truth.
Choose truth and keep pressing on!