Light Up Ahead

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness. Psalm 112:4

Because he was a Jew, Victor Frankl spent many months as slave-labor in a Nazi concentration camp. After his release, he wrote books about this experience and toured the world giving lectures on how he survived those dark times. But as the years passed, he noticed something strange. In a post-war world that was becoming increasingly prosperous and free, people still drifted without purpose as though groping in the dark. He remarked with amazement “Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.”

As I look around, I see a lot of happiness. Kids build snowmen in the winter and ride bikes in the summer. Families laugh. Church bells ring. Neighbors support each other in times of grief or celebration. In many ways, life is good.

But, I see a lot of darkness, too, and sometimes it is hard to know which is getting the upper hand. Every day the news brings a fresh batch of broken dreams and tragedies from around the world. Anger, corruption, drugs, rape, poverty, violence, greed, it’s all dished up in color and real time. Add to this, the personal darkness. Divorce, money trouble, emptiness, illness, loneliness, death, and the total load could be overwhelming.

I guess that is why I love verses like Psalm 112:4. This scripture is not about full-blown sunlight or having all the questions answered. Instead, it’s more like seeing light at the end of a tunnel or the first streaks of dawn piercing a long night. It’s a glimmer breaking solid and sure even though it is still in the distance. It’s about hope.

This special kind of hope is not for everyone, but is promised to a particular kind of people: the “upright.” Or, one might say those who are “pointed in the right direction.” They don’t weaver to and fro or change with every wind but remain steady and “upright” as they seek something beyond themselves. That something is a Someone. Seeking Him kept them upright and watching for the distant light.

Jeremiah 29:13 was written to a defeated, homeless, hopeless people who had gone through a time that rivaled the darkness of Auschwitz. To them God said, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” It was that seeking which pulled them upright and pointed them in the right direction.

Times of darkness can threaten even the strongest Christian. We let our focus drift, loose our compass and the next thing we know we doubt the meaning of life as hope slips from our grasp. But it need not stay that way. If you feel the darkness creep closer, don’t wait. Pull yourself upright by remembering the Lord. For it’s when you’re upright and pointed in the right direction that light will begin to glimmer on the horizon.

Plenty of Strength; Plenty of Love

I will not leave your orphans

John 14:18

It had been a wild, unpredictable adventure. Danger, constant travel, mystery and political intrigue were interspersed with victory, breath-taking excitement and surprises. Now, the disciples who had followed Jesus for three and a half years were weary, tense and suspecting that everything they longed for was about to come to pass. Success was out there, just past their finger tips, waiting to be grasped. Then, as was often case, Jesus did and said things that made them know they were as clueless as babes. They had gathered for what should have been a celebration dinner. But, it didn’t turn out that way.

The first thing Jesus did was to kneel and wash their feet, showing in that silent service how real love behaved. Then, He shook them to the core by saying He was going to leave them. He had made statements like these many times before, but this time He said it with a finality that alarmed, confused and saddened.

I can sympathize with those feelings. There have been times when I felt like Jesus was leaving me, too. And, if these feelings quickly followed some foolish vanity on my part, it’s been easy to believe that He is forsaking me because I am unworthy of His attention.

That night, long ago, Jesus looked around Him at sad, confused faces then said emphatically, “I will not leave you orphans!”

There are two ways to become an orphan. Either someone gives you birth and cannot take care of you or they give you birth and choose to abandon you. In the first case, the parent may have love but not enough strength to provide care. In the second, they have plenty of strength, but no love. Neither of those was true of Jesus. He had all the strength of the Creator of the universe and was Himself the source of all love. No, they would never be orphans.

Neither will we.

Yet, His statement must have seemed contradictory to those who first heard it for He had just told them He was going away. How could He both leave them and not leave them? The answer was rooted deep inside the mystery of the triune Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Son (who was God) would return to heaven but the Holy Spirit (who was God) would come to dwell inside believers and be their Comforter.
I can almost see the confusion on the faces of the disciples. How could this mystery be? Forty days later, they knew. They experienced the reality of the Spirit’s coming with power and joy. They were not orphans. His promise was true. Jesus was no longer physically present, but He had not left them alone!

Like the disciples, I too sometimes wonder about the mystery. How could God be with me if I don’t see Him? That’s when I take a moment to reach inside and feel the Spirit’s presence. I risk believing its true, and suddenly I don’t feel like an orphan at all.

The Rewarder

[Those] who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

One of the hardest things about waiting is the trial of faith. The tempter comes close and whispers that prayer and patients are useless. We hear a hiss of accusation from the shadows saying that God either doesn’t care or that our own inadequacies make us unworthy of His attention.

Have you ever been there? I certainly have. Looking back, I can see Satan’s prints all over such thoughts as these and sense again the dark nights of loneliness brought on by listening to such whispers.

I also see the cunning skill of my enemy for if he can get me to listen—even for a moment—to such suggestions, he can close the door between heaven and my soul.
The author of Hebrews lists the two requirements that are absolutely necessary before anyone can approach God: (1) we must believe that God is real and (2) that He cares enough to reward those who seek Him. So, when the way gets rough, it is often good to pause and ask ourselves how firmly our faith remains rooted in those two concepts.

Do we still believe God is real?

The routine of daily living can dull our sensitivities. Marriage partners drift into taking each other for granted. Children that were once our joy become our chore. Gratitude dissolves into restlessness. Even the wonder of God’s reality slips out of focus as day by day mundane routine forces an awareness of Him into the background.
It may be days ago or years ago that you placed your petition before God. Do you still believe that a real Being out there can actually hear you?

If that belief has slipped, perhaps it is time to reevaluate why you prayed in the first place. What made you hope He was there? Remembering may give fresh wind to your spirit. Is the world here by chance? If you have drifted into thinking so, spend a half-hour contemplating the nearest tree.

What about the second requirement for those who approach God? As you wait, do you believe He will answer? At this level of faith, God becomes personal. It is not just that God can answer prayer, but that He is willing to answer your prayer.
As Jesus drew His sermon on the mount to an end, He invited, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find. [ . . . ] What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [ . . . ] If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” [1]

Do we still believe that? Failure to believe is to question the character of God.
If the enemy is whispering to you this week, go back to the Word. Remember why you first hoped in His reality. Remember His character and His loving assurances. Jesus has His reward with Him [2] and He will reward YOU.

[1] Matthew 7:7-11, edited
[2] Revelation 22:12

When God Sees Me

Then she called the name of the LORD,“You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees”

Genesis 16:13

If I had been in Hagar’s shoes, I think I would have run away, too. Being a slave in a foreign country was bad enough, but being suddenly promoted to second wife of the master then within months demoted back to the status of a slave would have been too much.

It’s a familiar story. God had promised children to Abram but the years passed and his wife, Sarai, didn’t conceived. So, she decided to use her maid as a surrogate. Hagar would be the one pregnant but Sarai would own the baby.

I suspect Abram treated Hagar well, for she became quite proud and letting everyone know that she was better than her mistress. Things became heated and Sarai roughly reminded Hagar that she was a slave and would never be anything more. Humiliated, Hagar took off preferring to face death in the desert than hanging around the tent with Sarai.

I don’t blame her. The situation was very unfair. But, she must have been lonely and frightened out there in the desert. She had no resources, no safe place to go, no friend to lean on. Then, the Angel of the Lord showed up giving her instructions, offering comfort and assuring her of a good future.

In amazement, Hagar—who evidently knew little or nothing of God—coined a name for the One who spoke to her. She called Him, “You-Are-The-God-Who Sees.” Realizing that the Creator of the universe saw her and cared about her plight deeply touched her heart and changed her life. Such careful love gave her strength. She returned to Sarai and waited out the rest of her pregnancy. It was a difficult assignment, but with assurance that God was watching over her, she finished her course and became the mother of a great nation.

As I read the story again, I was fascinated anew by the name Hagar used for God. What must it have been like to have your primary concept of God be one of an all powerful Being watching your ever move? Curious, I began to look up references about the eyes of the Lord and what He sees as He looks down. The passages were abundant.

God sees me---
When my days are ordinary, [1]
When I my efforts go unnoticed, [2]
When I need to talk with a friend, [3]
When I am confused and not sure which way to turn, [4]
When I am sinning, [5]
When I’ve been mistreated, [6]
When my reputation is questioned, [7]
When my situation is the very worst I can imagine. [8]
Even when I doubt the reality of His presence, God still sees me. [9]

The idea of God’s continual watching could be uncomfortable. After all, we might not want our every deed and word exposed. It is only when we also know Him as the God of love and grace that His “watching” becomes “watch care,” and we find our hearts snuggling into the peace of His every present, benevolent gaze.


[1] Psalm 14:2; Psalm 102:19; Psalm 33:13 [2] Acts 10:3-4; Genesis 6:8 [3] Psalm 34:15 [4] Psalm 32:8 [5] Proverbs 15:3 [6] Deuteronomy 26:7 [7] Luke 1:25 [8] II Chronicles 16:9 [9] Psalm 94:9

The Voice Behind Me

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

I occasionally become frustrated with the book of Isaiah. Like the other Major Prophets, this book is not easily understood and the narrative thread that holds it together is not always in chronological order. Yet, just when I think I have gleaned all from the book that my weak mind can possibly untangle something new, fresh, and precious jumps from the page.

I had memorized and often drawn comfort from Isaiah 30:21, but never before wondered why the voice of God came from behind His people rather than going on before them. Guides are general up ahead forging the way, not lingering behind. When God guided Moses and roughly three million Israelites through the desert into the Promised Land, He went before them as a cloud by day and a column of fire by night. [1] Jesus said that when He put forth His sheep He would go before them. [2] Yet, here the voice of God comes from behind.

The answer to that riddle starts way back at the beginning of the chapter.
For much of his book of Isaiah is shouting out to the people telling them the exact nature of their sin. This chapter begins the same. The people are rebellious. The people are headstrong. They are sure they have a plan figured out that will keep them safe, but Isaiah shouts a warning of failure.

In verse fifteen, the tone changes and rather than scolding, the prophet relays the tender, pleading voice of God. “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; / In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’” There was a way out. There was safety. But, it was not in the direction that the people were heading. Their safety would be in waiting yet they chose instead to scheme, plan and fight the enemy head on.

What is God’s reaction to this? Isaiah tells us: “Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you.” [3] Because the people refused to wait on God, the Holy Creator of the Universe would wait instead for them. There will come a day when they would cry out in their trouble, and what will happen then? “He will be very gracious at the sound of your cry; / When He hears it, He will answer you.” [4] But, because the people had raced ahead with their own plans, when He spoke, they would hear the guiding voice behind them.

No wonder Isaiah calls God’s actions, “very gracious’ [4]. How much more mercy and grace could He show than to both lead the way before us and when we race ahead of His leading, call us from behind? That’s double grace. The kind of grace I often need.

[1] Exodus 13:22
[2] John 4:10
[3] Isaiah 30:18
[4] Isaiah 30:19

The Name of Darkness

. . . . . and the darkness He called Night.
Genesis 1:5

Darkness. The very word brings feelings of isolation. As the night closes in our vision is more limited and we become frightened by what might be out there beyond our ability to see and understand. We’re more vulnerable when it’s physically dark and if our darkness is emotional or circumstantial the problem is multiplied a thousand fold.

When darkness comes, we desperately need comfort and reassurance, and one way to find those two is by reminding ourselves of God’s relationship to the night. Darkness never takes Him by surprise. It’s not leftover fragments of a universe which He has hasn’t fully conquered. Darkness of every kind is as much under His control as sunshine and blue birds.

One way we know God is in control of dark times is through biblical examples. Many of His most important actions took place when human eyesight was the most limited. The Ten Commandments were given in the dark. [1] God called the young boy, Samuel, in the middle of the night [2] and Nehemiah discovered how to have victory over an impossible task as he rode around the walls of Jerusalem in the dark. [3] The covenant God made with Abraham [4] and Jacob’s first assurance of His personal care both took place in the night. [5] Even the most important events of the life of Christ were shrouded in shadow. Jesus was born, crucified and resurrected in the dark. [6]

Another way we see God’s control is by remembering how He handled physical light at the time of creation. When the universe began all was chaos, emptiness and darkness. Then, God broke into the situation bringing order and light, but when His work was finished He had not chosen to chase the darkness completely away. Instead, He bound up the darkness, confined it to discrete limits of time and gave it a name: Night. Later, He created two physical lights. The large, bright light was to rule the Day and the lesser, gentler light was to rule the Night. Neither the Day nor the Night was left to rule on their own. Both were planned; both were ruled and both were named by God.

This bring comfort when we feel we are drifting in an endless sea of darkness because, like the rest of creation, night has a beginning and will have an end. Even more importantly, our darkness has a journey mate; A friend walks beside us every step of the way.

Jesus knows all about darkness. He was there when it was bound and confined to discrete spans of time. He guided as dark times drew acts of heroism and faith from those who believe in Him. And, as He walked among us, He learned firsthand what it’s like to experience the shadows. It's because He knows the Night so well that we can trust Him while the darkness passes by.

[1] Exodus 20:21
[2] I Samuel 3:2-10
[3] Genesis 15:12
[4] Nehemiah 2:12
[5] Genesis 28:11
[6] Luke 2:6-8; Luke 23:44-45

Waiting, Just Like Me

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Luke 12:50

Have you ever thought of Jesus as being forced to wait? The notion may seem strange, but this verse is a quote from His own lips. Our Lord was clearly struggling and longing for some future event to be finished. And, as He waits He is “distressed” about the situation.

This shouldn’t surprise us because Jesus came to earth to live as we live and feel what we feel. He was God, but also fully human and as a human He was forced to wait.

It is commonly thought that Jesus was crucified and resurrected at age thirty-three, but did you ever wonder how scholars know that? The Bible only mentions His age once and that was at twelve years. The next time we see Him, He is an adult launching a preaching career with no mention of how many years stretched between those two events. To find that out, we turn to Jewish tradition and history.

Jesus taught as a rabbi [1] and by Jewish law He could not take that position until past His thirtieth birthday. Assuming He started preaching then and counting the yearly feast recorded until His death, the result is thirty-three years.

Between age twelve and thirty the Bible is silent. We assume Joseph died for he is never mentioned again in scripture although Mary is. If so, that meant Jesus, as firstborn son, would have become responsible for supporting a large family at a very young age. If at twelve He felt the urgency to be about God’s business [2], what must it have been like to wait eighteen more years before He could officially take steps that direction?

By the time Luke 12:50 is recorded, Jesus has been ministering slightly less than three years and the “baptism” He refers to is a metaphor for His fast approaching crucifixion. Step by step Jesus has followed the path His Father laid before Him, but now He can see the end of the journey and is distressed as He waits for the trial to be past.

In the Greek, our Lord described His feelings as “sunecho.” That means to be pressed down, constrained, kept in or compelled. While Jesus waited the emotions He faced were very similar to what we might feel and this is why the writer of Hebrews could say, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. [3]

Are you being forced to wait today? Do you feel the days crawling by one at a time and wonder if you have been forgotten by God? Lift up your head! God is not asleep. Jesus knows exactly what you feel and how hard it is. After all, He waited, too.

[1] John 20:16
[2] Luke 2:49
[3] Hebrews 4:15