“For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.” (Psalm 18:28 ESV)

Light in the darkness

An old joke is, “I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but it turned out to be a freight train!” To many, in view of the evil they see all around them, that’s not funny. Watching the scary events reported daily in the news does make things look dark and hopeless. But, Jesus offers great hope, especially for perilous times. It’s important to view the world through the light of Jesus. We can walk in His light and have His understanding on things no matter how dark things may appear. I love what someone once said, “I looked at the end of the book, and we won!”

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus enlightens everyone

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9 ESV)

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46 ESV)

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” ((2 Cor. 4:6 ESV)

The wicked hates the light

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21 ESV)

Therefore…

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7 ESV)

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8 ESV)

Quote:

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14-15 NIV)

Forgive every time 

“So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (Luke 17:3-4 NIV)

Forgive as the Lord forgave you

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:13 NIV)

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25 NIV)

The Lord is merciful and forgiving 

“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” (Dan. 9:9 NIV)

Therefore…

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19 NIV)

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isa. 1:18 NIV)

Quotes: 

“The voice of sin is loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder.” - Dwight L. Moody

“And you know, when you've experienced grace and you feel like you've been forgiven, you're a lot more forgiving of other people. You're a lot more gracious to others.” - Rick Warren

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Worldly people are devoid of the Spirit 

“It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”  (Jude 1:19 ESV) 

Friendship with the world is enmity with God   

 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4.4 ESV)

God chose you out of the world 

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19 ESV)

Renounce worldly passions 

“Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:12 ESV) 

Therefore…

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV)

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2 ESV)

Quotes:

“Modern Christians hope to save the world by being like it, but it will never work. The Church's power over the worldsprings out of her unlikeness to it, never from her integration into it." – Tozer

“The Christian says, 'Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people… (2 Chron. 7:13 NIV) 

Often we don’t understand

It’s hard to believe that God would send a catastrophic event among His people, but the above passage clearly says so. And often we don’t understand why. But God is God and we’re not, and He has good reasons that are above our limited understanding. We don’t know what God knows. Even so, He tells His people what they must do when it happens. One of the most quoted passages of Scripture is actually the rest of the above passage, which is often left off. 

“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV)

The answer is clearly given 

Notice that the answer is directed to God’s own people:  “my people, who are called by my name.” And they are clearly told what to do: “humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways.” Then, God says, “if” they do this: “then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 

Therefore…

The above is a very clear message to Gods own people. And, “if” they do as He directs, He will answer in the positive way He said. On the other hand, if they do not do what He said, the answer may be quite the opposite.

“For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” (1 Peter 3:10:13 NIV)

Quotes:

“Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility.” - Charles Grandison Finney

“The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.” - George Washington

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Psalm 85:6 ESV) 

Bowing the knee: Bowing and kneeling have long been associated with worship and reverence. The Hebrew word for “worship” actually means “bow down.” 

No one but God must be worshipped

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Exo. 20:5 ESV)

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 26:1 ESV)

“For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols.” (Psalm 78:58 ESV)

Every knee will bow before Jesus

“It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'” (Rom. 14:11 NIV)

“But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” (Psalm 5:7 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11 ESV)

“You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.” (Neh. 9:6 NASB)

Quote: 

“You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.” - Jesus Christ (Luke 4:8 NKJV)

“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” (Isa. 58:10 ESV)

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov. 11:25

A powerful biblical principle is found in the two verses above

A few years ago my brother, David, came to live with us. He was very sick and extremely depressed. He spent most of his time curled up in bed. At that time our son, John, was helping with a ministry called “Salt on the Street”, where he handed out needed items to the homeless on the streets and under bridges. One day, John was about to leave our house to go do it and David was nearby. John invited him to tag along with him. David didn’t want to go but I strongly “encouraged” him to go along, and he very reluctantly went. Later, when they returned, I could hardly recognize David. His depression  had completely lifted. He was so happy that he had gone. He had handed out socks and sandwiches to those who were in great need (many had thanked him). It was a great turning point for David and things went uphill for him from there. 

Help the poor, the weak, the needy, widows and the fatherless 

“For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” (Deut. 15:11 ESV)

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27 ESV)

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.” (Isa. 1:17 ESV)

“And the crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’” (Luke 3:10-11 ESV)

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 ESV)

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Rom. 15:1 ESV)

Warning

“Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” (Prov. 21:13 ESV) 

Therefore…

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal. 6:2 ESV)

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9 ESV)

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” (Prov. 19:17 ESV)

Quotes:

“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But…the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”  - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.” - Norman Vincent Peale

“You can have everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want in life.” - Zig Ziglar

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.”

(Isa. 55:8 NIV) 

When bad thoughts invade your mind 

Sometimes bad thoughts enter our minds, but we don’t have to continue thinking about them.The Word of God helps us to recognize our thoughts for what they really are, and how to act (or not act) upon them.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

Capture every thought 

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV)

Guard your heart 

“Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23 NIV)

Overcome evil with good 

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21 NIV).

Fill your mind with good 

“My friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. ” (Phil. 4:8 GNT)

Therefore…

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)  

 “You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:1-2 NIV) 

Quote: 

“You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” - Martin Luther

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24 ESV)

Finding a wife is finding a good thing

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” (Prov. 18.22 ESV)

“House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” (Prov. 19:14 ESV)

Each man and woman should have their own mate

“But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” (1 Cor. 7:2 ESV)

Let the marriage bed be undefiled

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Heb. 13:4 ESV) 

Therefore… 

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Eph. 5:22-33 ESV)

Quotes:

“There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage.” - Martin Luther

“Marriage was ordained for a remedy and to increase the world and for the man to help the woman and the woman the man, with all love and kindness.” -  William Tyndale

“But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.” (Job 32:8 ESV)

 Call to God for understanding

 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jer. 33:3 NIV)

Unfold God’s Words to get light and understanding

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130 NIV) 

A warning 

 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” (Prov. 18:2 ESV)

Need understanding on a matter? Ask God for revelation

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Eph. 1:17 NIV)

Therefore…

“Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Prov. 2:2-5 ESV)

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7 NIV) 

Quote:

“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.