I don’t have very many vivid memories from my early childhood. But I do remember clearly the time my Aunt and Uncle took my brother Wayne and I to go to stay with my cousin and his wife in Alabama. We had to drive from our home in Illinois so on the way we stopped off to see the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Apart from being fascinated by how mammoth the mammoth cave really was, I remember seeing the remains of an ancient man who had been crushed by a boulder who they called “Lost John”. I also remember snaking our way through a very narrow passageway called ‘fat man’s misery.’ But my most vivid memory of this cave was when they led us down into deep, deep cavern and turned out the lights to show us how dark darkness could be. You could actually “feel” the darkness. This was many, many years ago but I still remember it to this day.
This got me to thinking about a record from the Old Testament regarding one of
the ten plagues of Egypt. Most people remember the plague of frogs and the
plague of locusts, but few remember the plague of darkness. To remind you let’s
go to Exodus.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. (Exodus 10:21-23)Because Pharaoh once again refused to release the children of Israel, God caused darkness to descend upon all Egypt (except where the children of Israel stayed). This was not your ordinary darkness. This was utter darkness; a darkness that you could feel. Furthermore it says that the people did not move for three days. Can you imagine the terror in the hearts of these people?
The reason darkness is so debilitating is that you cannot see. Without light
you run into things, stumble and fall or you could get lost and lose your way.
Plus you can’t see any danger that might be coming your way. The Bible
correlates physical darkness to spiritual darkness.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)People in the ancient east could easily relate to this verse. Farmers were a very big part of ancient culture and each son of Jacob (Israel) was allotted their own plot of land to grow crops. The workers for each field would start out very early in the morning before it was light to get to their fields to work. They would be thankful if they had a “lamp unto their feet” so that they would avoid stumbling along the rough and sometimes rocky terrain. The same could be said spiritually. We need the light of God’s Word so that we can avoid the pitfalls and rocky places in life. The Word lights up our path so we can see where we are going and not get lost. The Word can also show us what areas in life to avoid so that we don’t get into trouble.
When Jesus started his ministry, an ancient prophecy came to pass,
And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthali: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. (Matthew 4:13-16 NIV)The tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali were located where Galilee was and where Jesus lived. When Jesus started preaching a great light had sprung up and for the first time in hundreds of years, people could see clearly. Jesus Christ was the light of the world because he spoke God’s Word and thousands were drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It was not his personality or his intellect that set people free. It was the words that he spoke. He spoke the words that God wanted him to speak (John 7:16). They were words of life and light.
The Bible also says that we shine as
lights in this dark world. (Philippians 2:15). Whenever we speak God’s Words to
someone we can bring light to those living in darkness. Words that we speak
could either mean life to people or death. So let’s speak words of life.
(Proverbs 18:21). Well intended philosophies and self-help ideas, no matter how
sincere, cannot break the chains of darkness that have entrapped so many. Only
the light of God’s Words can break the chains in people’s lives.
How many people out there feel lost
in life? Maybe they feel like they are trapped in a deep, dark cave, with no
way out. What wouldn’t they give to know that God loves them and that their
sins are forgiven? How many would love to hear that their lives have value and
that they have a special purpose for living? Thousands. I am thankful that one
day a long time ago some people cared enough to speak to me about God and
showed me what the Bible said about me. These simple words that they spoke
opened my eyes and led me to know God and Jesus Christ. I am no longer a
cave-dweller. I am free.
Love Always, Ray
“The entrance of Your words
gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)
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