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I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6
Have you ever been in a situation where you were waiting anxiously for something to happen? Perhaps you were waiting for God to answer a prayer you had for a loved one who was sick? Waiting for the doctor’s report. Waiting for word on a loved one in the military. Waiting for word from the bank about a loan, or if you were going to keep you house. Waiting for your employer to decide who keeps their job and who becomes unemployed. Waiting for the judge to decide the sentence.
Waiting. It can be agonizing. Waiting can become so much a part of you that controls your thoughts, your sleep, your eating habits, your moods. Waiting can affect your relationships, your outlook on life, and your opinion of God, yourself or others.
I remember when I was going through a terribly stressful time in my life. Everything I had counted on was gone. I was at the mercy of a legal system I didn’t trust. I had no money, no job and, perhaps, no future.
Sleep was fitful at best. I’d go to bed very, very late (or should I say early in the morning) and wake up from a fitful sleep just a few hours later. The lack of sleep caused fatigue which made the problems seem worse. My physical, emotional and spiritual health was failing.
The one thing I looked forward to every morning was seeing the sunrise. Light seemed to ease the fear and the pain. Being able to see what was around me gave me comfort in the midst of hopelessness. I hated the darkness of night.
I would imagine that is the word picture the Psalmist wants us to have in Psalm 130 when he likens waiting to the work of the night watchman. When the Bible repeats a phrase or a word it does so for effect, to show importance. Darkness was scary. Darkness was dangerous.
Today we have security lights and motion detectors. In his day there were torches and, sometimes moonlight. Daylight brought the assurance that you made it through the night without enemy attack. In the daylight you could see the enemy approach and arm yourselves. In the dark you were really at your enemy’s mercy.
That’s often how we feel when we are waiting expectantly, hopefully, earnestly for God to make something happen in our lives. The foundation on which we wait has to be trust. Trust in God’s character. Trust in His word. Trust in His promises. We do what we can to resolve some problems, but there are some where we just trust God for His word.
Your Heavenly Father loves you. He’s promised to take care of you. Everything He brings your way, the good and the bad, is given you in order to draw you closer to Him and trust His promises. Hard as it is to wait, waiting is easier when we really learn to rely on God to see us through the darkness and into the dawn.
PRAYER: Father God. I confess that I’m a lousy wait-er. I want answers and I want them now. I get impatient and don’t understand why you won’t answer me. Right now I’m in a very dark place in my life. I have issues with my relationships, my finances, my health, my faith. I need to see some light. Empower me by your Spirit to endure the darkness and draw close to you. Keep me safe until the dawn. In Jesus name, Amen.
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. John 12:35
Jesus was coming to the end of His earthly ministry and many were questioning Him concerning His teachings about the Messiah, or the ‘Son of Man’. The people were sure that they had the whole picture of God’s deliverance figured out. Their religion had built a comfortable box around their concept of how God would work and how they would, in turn, benefit.
Unfortunately, the people of Jesus day had the same problem many of us have today. We think we know exactly how God will work in a given situation. We expect that He will work the same way one time as He does in other times and circumstances. But God works in His own way and on His own timing and wisdom. Even while Jesus was on earth He didn’t heal people in the same way every time. God works in different ways at different times according to His wisdom and glory and not ours.
In John 12:35 Jesus teaches us an important lesson about the journey we call life and there is a sense of urgency in His voice. Jesus says, “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.” There is a nugget of wisdom in this little phrase hidden in verse 35. Life won’t always be as we see it now. Those of us who have lived a few years on earth are amazed at how life has changed socially, politically, economically and even spiritually.
Jesus tells us to walk. Walking is not standing. As a Christ-follower we cannot ‘stand’ for we are either progressing in our relationship with Jesus and others or we become stagnant. Stagnancy in the spiritual realm is the same as going backwards. It doesn’t do you any good, in fact it harms you. To avoid being stagnant in your spiritual walk it’s important to discipline yourself to read God’s word regularly, pray often and plan to fellowship with those who love Jesus as you do.
Jesus not only tells us to walk but He warns us to not ‘let the darkness overtake you’. When you walk in the evening it’s always a good idea to plan your walk wisely. Be aware of the surrounding changes in light, weather and topography. If you walk too far from home you could get lost in the darkness and not make it back safely.
The same is true somewhat in our spiritual lives. If we are not careful we can walk right into danger without realizing it. Wise walking means that you are careful not to allow yourself to be trapped by the enemy. As Christ-followers Satan will do whatever he can to sidetrack you from your mission to live for Jesus by bringing darkness unexpectedly into our lives.
The darkness he brings upon can be like shadows of our past which haunt us continually with guilt for poor decisions, the pain of broken relationships and doubts about our abilities to recover. His darkness can bring the worry and anxiety of the future, infecting us with fear for our own well-being and the safety of our children.
But Jesus tells us to avoid the darkness. Light destroys shadows and Jesus is the light! The closer we walk to Him the less effect the darkness will have on us. As we walk with in wisdom, aware of our surroundings, His light shines the way to show us safe passage through obstacles the enemy lays before us to trap us.
Walk. Don’t run. Don’t stand. Don’t waiver. Move on in life through the light that only Jesus can offer you. In Him is all you need to travel this journey called life.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I thank you for being the light of my world. I praise you that you alone will show me the way. I trust in Your promise to keep me from being trapped by the shadows of darkness that Satan throws across my path. Empower me with wisdom to walk in your way and strength to keep on when the way grows weary. Amen.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) Ephesians 5:8-9
No one would blame you for bumping into things in the dark. You can’t see where you are going. You don’t see obstacles in your path. You make choices and decisions based on what you know.
Sometimes, if you are in familiar surroundings, you can do pretty well walking in the dark. You remember where the obstacles were and can plan accordingly. But even then, your chances of miscalculating are great. We can end up in places we never thought we’d be if we rely on our instincts in the dark.
Perhaps the Apostle Paul was thinking of the times he wandered in the dark when he wrote these words to the church in Ephesus. He may have been reminded of the times he’d escaped with his life, or the times sitting in the dark, wet, smelly prisons. Darkness was no stranger to Paul.
Paul also knew the warmth and safety of light. Light enables us to steer clear of obstacles. Light enables us to make clear, rational decisions. Light keeps us from being deceived by the shadows that lurk when darkness surrounds us.
Paul says, “Now we are children of light”. That means things are different now. We can’t be blamed for the actions we did in the dark. We didn’t know better. But now. Now we can see. The mistakes of our past, the poor decisions we made in the darkness are behind us. In another letter Paul says “I set aside those things in my past and press on.” What he is saying is that when he was in darkness he did things that now he regrets. But he’d been forgiven. He was free. He was in the light.
As a Christ-follower we no longer need to regret the things of our past. Because of Jesus love and forgiveness we can come to Him and ask forgiveness. Then, moving on in the light, we can trust Him to guide us into making decisions that are better for us and those around us.
Don’t let the shadows of your dark past continue to haunt you. Because of Jesus we can now walk in the light!
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I thank you that because of you I can walk in the light. While I was in darkness there were so many people I hurt. So many things I regret. So many stupid decsions I made that I still have scars from. Forgive me for those choices. Enable me, through your Spirit, to walk boldly in the light. Remove the shadows of my past from me so I can live free in you. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 