Penetrating the Darkness

The Light of God’s Word

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Psalm 119:105

Yes, God’s Word is a light to illuminate the way, a lamp to chase away the world’s sinister darkness.

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right,  giving joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.   Psalm 19:7-8

God’s Word – his perfect, trustworthy, radiant Word – refreshes, makes wise, and gives joy and light.

What abundant blessings – these and many more – God’s Word brings to us!  What a privilege has been granted to us that we can at any time open our Bibles and be brought into the light of God’s Word, to be refreshed and filled with joy!  How wonderful when we are able to join with others to meditate on God’s message to us and be strengthened in the faith!

Abundant blessings result from time spent in the Word of God!

The Evil Whisperer

Is it any surprise, then, that Satan works so diligently to put roadblocks in the way of our Bible study time?

When morning opportunities for delving into God’s Word present themselves, Satan whispers, “You don’t have time.  Today’s to-do list is long; you better get a move-on.”

In the evening, he convincingly hisses, “You just need to go to sleep; you’re too tired to get anything out of it right now.”

When group Bible study opportunities are available, he is right there manipulatively suggesting, “You won’t learn anything new.  Besides, so-and-so always monopolizes the conversation and asks a million questions.”  

Or, “No one contributes to the conversation.  What’s the use?”

“Hardly anyone shows up anyway – why should you?”

“You hardly ever miss a class. It’s no big deal to skip this one.”

“You’ve neglected this for so long – why start now?”

“There’s too much chaos in your life right now.  You need to focus on getting some of that taken care of first.”

“It’s so hard to figure out what those Bible passages mean or how they apply to you.”

“You have done plenty of Bible study lately – give yourself a break.”

“You already had devotion time with your family/children/students/colleagues.  That’s enough for the time being.”

“Don’t forget about all those reasons you aren’t worthy to be in God’s presence. He probably wouldn’t want to have a conversation with you anyway.”

“It’s a waste of time.”  “You’re not in a good place right now.”   “You aren’t ready to really listen to anything God might want to reveal to you.”  “You won’t be able to focus with everything else that’s on your mind. Why bother?” 

And on.  And on.  And on.

How good Satan is at convincing us to turn from the light of God’s Word and dwell in the darkness!  Regrettably, he often doesn’t even have to work very hard.

Every Opportunity

A recent Saturday morning presented the opportunity for Bible study with a group of Christian women friends.  I have enjoyed the fellowship and spiritual enrichment that these bi-weekly Saturday studies have brought, and I am generally grateful to be a part of them.  

But Satan was working hard on me, already the night before.  He certainly can’t be accused of procrastinating.

It happens, naturally, that it doesn’t always work to attend a scheduled Bible study. But when a friend’s Friday night inquiry, “Will I see you at Bible study tomorrow?” popped up on my phone, my response, “I’m not sure if I’ll make it tomorrow,” was perhaps based too much on Satan’s deceitful whispers.

But, by God’s grace, a friendly reminder that I could “Zoom” in and a genuine “I hope to see you there”  helped to redirect my course.

I still wasn’t completely “feeling it,” when morning came, but I ignored my messy hair, snuggled under a blanket, and, with a tainted heart not completely “into” it, connected virtually.  But guess what?  I didn’t regret attending.  Far from it. 

The Battle Isn’t Over

Satan didn’t concede easily, of course.  He threw in distractions that included 80’s metal music blaring from one room of the house.  Loud piano playing boomed from another room. (Oddly enough, the family member pounding on the keyboard was the same one who was blasting the 80’s music.)  I couldn’t completely shut out the clamorous sounds of sawing and hammering from yet another location as a home improvement project continued to take shape.  Not that there isn’t “good” in all that commotion that signifies home and family, but So Much Noise!  So Many Distractions!

God, however, breaks through the chaos and commotion. I took refuge in a corner of my bedroom, plugged in my earbuds, muted my mic to hide from the other participants the cacophony of my hectic home, and, perhaps somewhat half-heartedly, at least at first, joined my Christian companions to meditate on God’s Word.

The faithfulness of God

Together we dug into what the Bible says about the spirit’s fruit of faithfulness.  A fruit we cannot even begin to comprehend or exhibit without having experienced a relationship with our faithful God.  

A God who faithfully shows up even when we don’t.   

“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20

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A faithful God who makes no excuses, though we could author a series of books on them.  

“The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

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An always-loving and ever-faithful God who doesn’t give up on his people, even when those people are so quick to forsake him.  

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  Psalm 73:26

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A God who never tires of spending time with us and pouring his spirit into our stubborn hearts.  

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest….Learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls.”   Matthew 11:28-29

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A faithful God who blessed me that morning as he has other Saturday mornings with the fellowship of the other women who were a part of that day’s study.  Women who showed up, including one who, taking a reprieve from her own brand of chaos, virtually connected from a hotel stairwell. Women who perhaps had to shut out the whispered lies and half-truths that the enemy had tailored just for them.  Women who are willing to be vulnerable, to share their own struggles and heartaches, and to encourage one another with the only source of true comfort and strength. 

A faithful God who once again allowed the light of his Word to shine into my dark and sinful heart.  My God who once again poured out his love and forgiveness upon this undeserving recipient of his grace.  My faithful God who gently, lovingly, and repeatedly reminds me that time spent with him in the study of his Word is never wasted.

An Open Invitation

From the bounties of his grace, God extends the invitation for us to draw closer to him through time spent in the Word.  Opportunities are numerous, even more so in recent times.  Devotions and sermons can be easily and immediately streamed at any time of day.   Podcasts, radio services, devotional apps, Bible reading schedules, audio Bibles, personal devotions, and in-person or virtual group studies are among the options we have for digging in to scripture.  Not to mention simply picking up that treasured book and welcoming the Spirit as he moves in us to nourish and build us up through the words on the page.

“The word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 

When we fail to make use of those opportunities, our ever-faithful God invites us once again.  Rather than removing the opportunities we neglect, he tends to present even more options. He waits, eager to receive us and welcome us to a personal meeting with him.

I am blessed.  Again and again, God in his eternal and steadfast faithfulness uses his powerful, effective, and illuminating Word to dispel the darkness and cover me with his goodness.

Dear God, may I treasure more fully and gratefully the gift of your almighty Word!

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so is my word which goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11

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