'Darkness' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6 Psalm 23:4-6 Not every day is filled with green pastures and still waters! No matter how carefully we walk the paths of righteousness, sooner or later we’re going to enter the valley of the shadow of death, and it’s going to be scary. And guess what, our Shepherd Lord plunges into…
Daily Devotions
If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;” vs. 6 1 John 1:5-7 Evidently there were some folks in the communities John was writing to who believed that our behavior as disciples of Jesus really didn’t make that much difference. They reasoned that perfection, walking in the light, was too high a standard and that people shouldn’t beat themselves up if they wandered from…
Daily Devotions
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” vs. 9 1 Peter 2:6-10 As the age of denominationalism slowly grinds to an end, it’s easy to become discouraged. It’s not easy to accept that what we found so helpful and precious means virtually nothing to our children and grandchildren. But the extinction…
Daily Devotions
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” vss. 1-2 Psalm 130 It’s not much fun to live in the depths! The view is terrible and our only companions are depression and despair. But it was a familiar dwelling place for the psalmist–he likely lived in Jerusalem and life there was full of lamentable occasions. Calamity was a regular visitor. On this day,…
Daily Devotions
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” vss. 8-9 Ephesians 5:8-14 In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said to his disciples, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works, and give glory to God.” That theme dominated the faith and practice of the early church, and…
Daily Devotions
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.” vs. 2 Isaiah 9:2-5 This little verse from Isaiah is familiar to folks who worship on Christmas and is often used as an introduction to the liturgy. Yet in recent years there are some who maintain that the light/darkness metaphor has contributed to the continuing problem of racism. They say that when light represents…
Daily Devotions
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” vss. 44-45 Luke 23:32-49 In the prologue to his gospel John wrote, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Believers have found great comfort in this verse through the centuries, and we’re quick to recall it when times get tough and we’re…
Daily Devotions
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” vs. 19 John 3:18-21 We don’t like to talk about judgment, and some have pretty much eliminated the word from their religious vocabulary. They prefer to believe that since God is good and abounding in steadfast love, there’s no room for judgment. That would be news to the gospel writer! From his perspective there was…
Daily Devotions: March 19, 2020
March 19, 2020 Ephesians 5:11-14 … “For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.” vss. 12-14a Darkness can be a comfortable place to live. Folks can do what they please, not worry about who they hurt, and shamelessly gratify every passion and desire, while living totally for themselves. But the moment light shines in that darkness, everything is up for grabs.…
Daily Devotions: February 8, 2020
February 8, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 5:13-16 … “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vs. 16 In many baptismal rituals, the first words that the baptized hears after the laying on of hands are these: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In…
Daily Devotions: January 20, 2020
January 20, 2020 For full passage click: Isaiah 9:1-4 … “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” vs. 2 Light and darkness are familiar metaphors in Scripture! In this instance, Isaiah is using them to describe the hope that has filled the hearts of the people of Judah with the coronation of a new king. Darkness, in the form of the Assyrian…