Have you ever known what it was like to walk in darkness? Perhaps you can remember a time that you felt cut off from God, confused, and alone. I know that I often feel distant from God when I neglect to read my Bible.
One of the promises of scripture is that God’s word will give wisdom and light to those who are spiritually blind. The psalmist said, “The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple… the commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:7,8
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The truly wise person is one who makes decisions in light of reality and in light of truth. God’s Word reveals to us the ultimate reality of God and His Kingdom. And yet think about the world in which we live. So much of this world acts as if God didn’t even exist, as if there is no ultimate truth.
I have often thought about much of the entertainment that we watch. Most all of it ignores spiritual issues and any talk of the true and Living God. Everything in TV land or Hollywood is seen from a humanistic world view. You rarely see a story line where someone truly is looking to God for help or guidance. Even in tough times, it is all up to the hero to figure out how to save the day – by himself without any help from God.
It may work in the movies to leave God out of the picture, but I have seen too many people in real life make one self destructive decision after another because they would not submit to God. I have found myself at times making so many self centered and shortsighted decisions. If heaven wasn’t real, and if this life was all there is to it, then maybe living life our way makes sense. If we live as if this world is all there is to it, then we are living in the dark; therefore, we will view things such as self sacrifice, giving, forgiving others, staying committed in marriage, putting others first, developing true character, etc. as unimportant. Perhaps these and other Christian teachings will be seen as prohibitive, strange and undesirable.
I warn you though. The world’s way is not working. If it did, then I would say go for it. Just chase all this world has to offer. Live it up, drink it up and sex it up. It will not work though. I have seen too many marriages implode, people end up in addiction, people cheating others out of money, and people mis-prioritizing their families in the pursuit of wealth. It just leads to bondage, destrucion, and ultimately deep spiritual darkness – cut off from God and others.
What can lead us out of the darkness? The Word of God. “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word gives us wisdom. Gods’ Word gives light to our eyes. It is amazing how blind we can be, but we don’t often realize it until we expose ourselves to the light of God’s Word. Then we begin to see our errors, our bondage, and our darkness.
There is a story of a South Sea island native who proudly displayed his Bible to a G.I. during WW II. He had received it as a present from a missionary some time before. The soldier said, “Oh, we’ve outgrown that sort of thing.” The native smiled back and said, “Well, it’s a good thing we haven’t, because if it weren’t for this book helping to open our eyes, you would be our evening meal.”
Maybe you are living like a savage and don’t even know it. Could you be blind, living in spiritual darkness? Wisdom is a life that makes sense in light of reality and in light of eternity. And that wisdom and light shines from God’s Word. And that’s the Word.
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