Giving Faith the Benefit of the Doubt

The Victorian Era in the 19^th century is often referred to as “the age of doubt.” During that time important scientific discoveries were challenging prevalent religious thinking, and some of that has carried over to the present day. It seems we’ve turned into ‘the doubtful society,’ as we cast skeptical eyes on politicians, the media, education, and especially every dimension of spirituality. In the 1960s, demonstrators shouted, “Question authority!” Since then, we’ve come to question virtually everything. 

Doubt, in the opinion of some, is the enemy of faith. They regard questioning or expressing anything about biblical teachings as evidence of disbelief. Some might contend we’re to operate on the basis of ‘blind faith,’ refusing to allow doubts to invade our thinking. 

 

There are dangers to this, however. The Barna Group, a research organization that studies how cultural trends and religious belief intersect, released a report that nearly 60 percent of young adults leave the church after leaving home – with doubt being a central cause. Of those surveyed, 36 percent said they rejected their faith because of unanswered questions they had; 23 percent left their church roots because of doubts about their faith.

In my experience, however, doubt need not function as an adversary of faith. Instead, it can serve as an asset for strengthening it, much as the challenge of lifting weights serves to strengthen muscles. Rather than discouraging expressions of doubt and uncertainty, maybe they should be embraced as avenues for deepening one’s convictions and drawing closer to the Lord. Because if God isn’t big enough and strong enough to handle our questions and doubts, He certainly isn’t worthy of our trust.

 

We find this perspective affirmed throughout the Scriptures. In Genesis, Abram and Sarai were advanced in years, yet she’d not been able to give him a son through whom God would fulfill His promise to “make [him] into a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). As years passed, their doubts grew until Sarai decided to have her maidservant Hagar serve as a surrogate. 

 

Hagar conceived and gave Abram a son, Ishmael, but God in effect told him, “That’s not what I planned.” Later the Lord restated His promise, declaring, “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations…. As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her” (Genesis17:5-16).

 

Did Abraham respond with, ‘Okay, great!’? Nope. He “fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’” (Genesis 17:17). Doesn’t this sound like a man who had more than a few doubts?

 

Laughter must have been a big part of the Abraham-Sarah household, because when a divine visitor later tells Abraham, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son,” eavesdropping Sarah “laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?’” (Genesis 18:10,14).

 

Could you blame them? Decades beyond their physical prime, Abraham and Sarah surely thought their window of opportunity for parenting had slammed shut. Even if God had promised to the contrary. The key is how the Lord responded. He didn’t get huffy and say, “Well, if you don’t believe Me, forget it!” One year later the aged couple did have a son, Isaac, and over the centuries since, Abraham indeed has become the spiritual patriarch to many nations.

 

This is hardly an isolated example. The Psalms show King David, described as “a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), often expressing his doubts and fears. In Psalm 42:3 he wrote, “My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me, ‘Where is your God?’”, and in Psalm 43:2 he complains, “For you are the God of my refuge. Why have you rejected me?” But time after time, God proved His faithfulness to David.

 

Jesus Christ repeatedly warned His disciples of events that were to come, even that they would betray Him, but when He was arrested by Roman and religious authorities, “all the disciples deserted Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56). Despite having spent three years with Jesus, the disciples turned into a doubting, fearful lot.

 

Consider the disciple Thomas, perhaps the poster guy for doubt. He’s often called “doubting Thomas.” When Jesus first appeared to the disciples following His resurrection, John 20:24-29 reports that for some reason Thomas wasn’t there. When he heard the other disciples declaring, “We have seen the Lord!”, Thomas reacted with indifference, as if to say, “Yeah, right.” 

 

He needed proof. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.” Soon Thomas got his proof. Jesus didn't chastise him to being skeptical; instead, He showed His nail-scarred hands to the disciple and asked him to place in his hand into His side. Thomas had no option but to cast his doubts aside and respond, “My Lord and my God!”

 

What Jesus said next is something we all should take to heart: “Because you [Thomas] have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

Hebrews 11:1 says, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Of necessity, genuine belief and trust in Jesus Christ requires our faith to overcome our doubts. But doubt can serve as a great teaching aid. 

Confessing our questions and doubts can inspire us to pray, consult with others, and most importantly, dig into the Scriptures for answers. That doesn’t mean we will know all the answers to our questions – but in the process we can get to know God in a much deeper way.

We Need to Be More Like the Bereans

A classic scenario we’ve often seen is someone lying on a couch in a psychiatrist’s office saying, “Doctor, I hear voices.” These days, we’re all hearing voices: TV and radio talk shows; news commentary sometimes disguised as objective reporting; podcasts; social media; Internet diatribes. 

So many voices, one stating one thing, another saying something totally different. Kind of reminds me of the scene in the book of Acts when a mob in the city of Ephesus tried to disrupt the apostle Paul’s preaching: “The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there” (Acts 19:32). 

 

Living in our world of so many disparate voices can be just as confusing. Many of those most vocal are desperate to persuade us about what to think and how to interpret events all around us – in our communities, the nation, even the world. But the views expressed are so diverse, often diametrically opposed to each other. How are we to discern what’s right – or who’s right?

 

There are no simple answers, unfortunately. Even the spiritual realm can seem just as confounding. As was the case in ancient Ephesus, where “some were shouting one thing; some another,” we’re offered a smorgasbord of ideas and ideologies from which we can pick and choose, if we so desire.

 

Just a cursory comparison of the world’s religions reveals differences that can’t be reconciled. But even within Christianity we’re confronted with teachings that can leave us struggling to discern whose messages represent the truth. From what I’ve observed, some “teachers” apparently are drawing their conclusions from the books of Babylonians and 2 Opinions (which, spoiler alert, are not in the Bible). The question again arises, who are we to believe?

 

Another passage in the book of Acts offers guidance in how to distinguish between what’s true and what’s not. The apostle Paul, Silas, and those following them were on a mission trip, stopping in Thessalonica and then proceeding to Berea: “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead” (Acts 17:2-3).

 

What Paul was preaching was the Gospel – literally, “good news” – which was eagerly received by some, but strongly opposed by others because what he was teaching was contrary to their well-established religious beliefs and practices. While some who heard Paul were convinced that what he taught was the truth, others formed a mob and started rioting to oppose him.

 

Then there were those who, similar to many of us today, simply wanted to carefully consider what he had to say and respond according to what they discovered. Among those were Jews in Berea. We’re told, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

 

Rather than reacting negatively because the apostle’s teachings ran contrary to what they had always been taught or simply accepting his words ‘as gospel’ without any reservations, the Bereans chose the middle ground: They dug into the Scriptures – which at that time consisted only of the Old Testament – and compared what Paul was teaching with scriptural revelation.

 

We’d be wise to follow the example of the Bereans when we hear teachings from various apparently authoritative voices on matters such as theology, doctrine, morality, and their views about God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

 

We’re warned that “the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). Even though these words were written many centuries ago, they ring true to this day. Sadly, many people ‘want the God they want,’ rather than truly seeking the God who is.

 

Hopefully you’re not among them. If your desire is to know the Lord and grow deeper in your walk and relationship with Him, “searching the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” is a healthy habit. We need to know which of the many voices out there are worth listening to.

 

Even if we belong to a body of believers where the Bible is revered and faithfully taught, it doesn’t hurt to check the Scriptures ourselves to confirm whether what Pastor So-and-So said is, in fact, so.

If indeed, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” as 2 Timothy 3:16 declares, as diligent truth-seekers we can trust the Lord to confirm or correct what we hear.

Best Way to Know a Book Is to Know the Author

The art and craft of writing books have fascinated me for a long time. Having written, co-authored and edited more than 20 books myself, I know it’s a complicated, challenging endeavor. Author Philip Yancey has described the writing process as something like this: “All you have to do is sit at the computer, fingers on the keyboard, until beads of blood appear on your forehead.” (Who said writing is ‘no sweat’?)

I identify very well with another of Yancey’s observations about writing: “I hate to write – but I love to have written.” Sometimes I can be extremely creative in procrastinating from sitting at the keyboard, but the end result from the hard work of writing can be very rewarding. 

 

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interacting with a number of other authors. I’ve concluded that we writers are a strange bunch, many leaning toward being introverts since we spend so much time inside our own heads. 

 

Most of us will never meet our favorite authors – especially ones like Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, the Bronte sisters, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and many other literary greats who have passed from the scene. But in reading their books, we can capture a glimpse of who they are (or were). Because most of the time, authors write about things that interest or intrigue them. 

 

For instance, horrormeister Stephen King (whom I’ve met) obviously has a fascination with things that go bump in the night. As did Edgar Allan Poe. Agatha Christie must have thought it great fun to conjure up a good mystery. John Grisham revels in courtroom drama. And Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov had a particular penchant for the collision of science and futuristic fiction.

 

However, while books offer a glimpse into what authors think about, their writings don’t always reveal much about what they’re really like in real life. Are they as clever and engaging in person as characters in their books? Do they have sinister, brooding personalities? Would we enjoy being their friend? 

 

On the other hand, don’t you think you’d understand a book better if you truly knew its author?

 

At this point we should note a very important difference between every other book and…the Bible. Consisting of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament), compiled from about 40 different people who wrote under the inspiration of God, the Bible truly is the Word of God. Its pages teach us not only what interests Him but also reveals who He is – in extraordinary detail.

 

As 2 Timothy 3:16 informs us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” One new believer concluded after reading this verse, “God wrote a book!”

 

Not only that, but despite its many ‘sub-books’ and numerous human writers, the Bible is unique in that it carries one central theme that spanned thousands of years: redemption through Jesus Christ.

 

Books, whether produced on physical paper or displayed on an electronic screen, consist of words, sentences and paragraphs. The Scriptures tell us something about Jesus that no one else has or could ever claim: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:1,14).

 

If we wonder what God is like, we need look no further than to Jesus. As Hebrews 1:3 tells us, “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” In one of his books, Yancey expressed it this way: “Jesus became the visible, finite expression of the invisible, infinite, inexpressible God.”

 

When we think of famous authors, Jesus Christ might not be the first name to roll off our tongues. But the Bible states Jesus indeed was an author – in the most profound sense. Speaking to a crowd of people at a place in Jerusalem called Solomon’s Colonnade, the apostle Peter declared, “You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 3:15). 

 

Later in the New Testament we find another reference to Jesus’ authorship. Hebrews 12:2 urges us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Both passages show Jesus as a different type of “author,” not the writer of a singular work of non-fiction or fiction, but the giver of life itself. Even though we have beating hearts, blood pulsing through our veins, and air in our lungs, the Scriptures teach that apart from Christ we are spiritually dead. Yet because of what He has done on our behalf, we can experience and enjoy new life:

“…because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

 

Another verse I’ve cited before speaks of this new life, available to everyone who will receive it: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Receiving Christ’s gift of salvation, forgiveness and redemption not only assures us of life after death, but also eternal life right now. We know this because of what God says in the Bible: “I write these things to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Note this doesn’t say, ‘you will have eternal life,’ but rather, “you have eternal life” – present tense.

 

The Lord doesn’t just want to turn a page on our lives. He wants to start writing a new book in us. I like how James Banks, a devotional writer for Our Daily Bread, put it: “The author of life stands ready to write new beginnings for us!” Doesn’t that sound good?

There’s Foolishness – and Then There’s Real Folly

Here we are on April Fool’s Day, the annual day when we can engage in telling folks their shoes are untied – when they’re wearing loafers or leather sandals. Or telling some guy his zipper’s down, when it’s not. “April Fool’s!” 

 

No one knows for certain how and when this custom of carrying out practical jokes and pranks began, but it likely dates back at least several centuries. Seems no generation has lacked for having its share of fools and foolishness. There’s nothing wrong with good-natured trickery, but we need to understand that folly is a devastating year-round pastime for some people.

 

Reading the Bible, we find no mention of April Fool’s Day. But the Scriptures have much to say about fools and folly. The Proverbs, for example, are replete with warnings against the perils of foolishness. Exhortations start with the book’s first chapter: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

 

There’s an admonition not to foolishly neglect work that must be done: “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:10-11).

 

We find folly and its enticements personified in a very sober manner: “The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. ‘Let all who are simple come in here!’ she says to those who lack judgment…. But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave” (Proverbs 9:13-18).

 

Numerous other examples are woven throughout Proverbs, but here are just a hardful:

“Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly” (Proverbs 13:16).

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:1).

“A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them” (Proverbs 14:3).

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” (Proverbs 14:8). 

“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2).

 

I think you get the idea. The Word of God overflows with cautions against foolish thinking and behavior. If we desire to experience a rewarding, fulfilling life, we’re advised to pursue wisdom and avoid folly.

 

But perhaps its strongest admonition of all is found in the Psalms, focusing on the importance of faith in God. King David, who wrote many of the Psalms, declared: 

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:1-3). 

 

Apparently, the king of Israel didn’t want this to be overlooked. In case the reader might have scanned over those verses and missed the urgency of the message, it’s repeated almost word for word later in Psalm 53:1-3.

 

So, on this April Fool’s Day, some of us will be duped by harmless, no malice of intent pranks. Ha, ha! But the foolishness of rejecting God – pridefully refusing to consider, much less accept, His loving offer of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ – is no laughing matter.

 

We read about this in the first chapter of Romans: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them…. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:18-25).

These words might seem harsh, but they assert that God is dead serious about this. There’s no harm in a silly April Fool’s prank, but to foolishly rebel against the Lord is a matter of eternal consequence. 

Determining to ‘Choose Your Hard’ With Wisdom

Have you noticed that life isn’t easy? When we’re children, our parents ask us to do tough stuff like, “Eat your peas,” “Pick up your toys,” and “Don’t jump in the mud puddle.” Who knew being a kid could be so demanding?

 

We transition to adolescence and our teen years, and things are still hard. We’re required to do homework, clean up our rooms, get our first job, learn how to drive, and be home by curfew. None of those is easy.

 

Even as we get older and more mature, life doesn’t ease up. Getting a college education or technical training to begin a career; seeking full-time employment and then doing the work; finding a place to live, paying bills, and trying to live as a responsible adult. None of which is the proverbial walk in the park.

 

Listening to the radio while driving to another state, I heard a different perspective on the hard things in life. A poem attributed to Devon Brough made the following observations:

“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.

Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard.

Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard.

Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.

Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.”

 

At the very least, this prompts us to stop and think, doesn’t it? Take the first point: When we choose to get married, that’s the easy part. Choosing to stay married, when the ‘richer or poorer,’ ‘sickness and health’ parts start kicking in, is a very different matter. Just within the past week I’ve talked with two friends whose adult daughters are choosing to get divorces. They’ve discovered marriage is hard. Divorce, they’ll soon learn, is hard too. Moving forward they will have to ‘choose their hard.’

 

The hardness of being in debt is something I can relate to easily. Struggling in debt was very hard – the easy part is never forgetting how hard it was. It took a lot of time, discipline, sacrifice and the grace of God to get out of debt. Choosing that ‘hard’ was well worth it.

Researching on the poem above, I saw that some pushed back against its message, noting sometimes the hard things in life are thrust upon us through no fault of our own. While that’s true, we still have the option of choosing how to respond to adverse circumstances, whatever they are.

 

I just finished reading Though He Fall, a biography by Scott Mitchell. In it he recounts an evening outing with some college friends when he slipped and fell off a cliff, dropping of more than 70 feet. He suffered severe injuries to his spine and legs, leaving him a paraplegic. While he didn’t use the phrase ‘choose your hard,’ Mitchell had to do just that. 

 

He could have chosen to wallow in self-pity and resign to defeat because of his disability. Instead, he endured the agonies of rehabilitation, physical therapy and numerous setbacks, determining to maintain a positive attitude anchored in his faith in Jesus Christ. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Mitchell learned to drive a car using hand controls, graduated from college with a ministerial degree, got married, had a fruitful itinerant preaching ministry, and even pastored two churches for nearly 20 years.

 

The Scriptures are replete with teachings that support the “choose your hard” approach to life, including the all-important decision of whether to follow Christ. After leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, Joshua acknowledged they had an important choice to make, being surrounded by peoples worshiping pagan gods. He declared, “…if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

 

We each face a similar choice today. The world around us presents a variety of ‘gods’ and idols we can worship, including materialism, prestige, popularity, self-gratification, and various ideologies. But no matter which we choose to follow, we’ll find the way is hard, frustrating, and offers rewards that are temporary at best.

 

The alternative is to commit our lives to following the Lord, even though that path is hard as well. It’s our faith that enables us to face, accept and even revel in adversity. We can trust in promises like the one God gave the Israelites during their exile in Babylon: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

 

We also have assurances like Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” And Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

 

God never promised that following and serving Him in this life would be easy. There are no promises of rose gardens in the Bible. In fact, Psalm 34:19 tells us, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

The ultimate ‘choose your hard’ is whether to live with the Lord and live for Him – or to live without Him. As Joshua said, we must choose for ourselves this day whom we will serve. Choose wisely. 

Spring Points to the Marvels of Rebirth

Spring has officially sprung, as they say. You know how I know? I spotted the first weed already sprouting in our monkey grass, a clever imposter whose welcome has already worn out. A quick glance revealed other weedy “springers” making their appearance as well, contributing their unique brand of peskiness to the emergence of spring’s prettiness.

Even though some parts of the country apparently didn’t get the memo – with significant amounts of snow falling upon them – most areas are eager to be out with the cold and in with the warm. As I mentioned, the advent of spring isn’t all sunshine and marigolds. Along with the weeds, bugs also will soon be in force. Evidence that outside every silver lining you’re likely to find a gray cloud.

 

But enough of the negativity! Spring’s about to break forth with all the wonders of nature, greenery galore, and a plethora of flora. (I’ve liked the sound of that word, ‘plethora,’ ever since Howard Cosell brought it to public awareness decades ago on Monday Night Football.)

 

Trees are budding and soon will display their annual array of green leaves. Honey-minded bees will buzz from flower to flower, gathering pollen for their hives and, in the process, cross-pollinating other flowers they visit. Grass will grow, followed by the roar of lawnmowers to keep the green blades in check.

 

When I think of spring, rebirth comes to mind. Plant life that had been dormant for months suddenly explodes with energy. Birds have renewed cheer in their chirps. All forms of wildlife scurry about, reveling in the sunlight and warmth.

 

I can’t help but think of the Creator, in the midst of this revitalizing of our world. One passage in the Old Testament book of Isaiah specifically comes to mind:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to My people, My chosen, the people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise” (Isaiah 43:18-21).

 

Granted, here God isn’t talking about springtime and all its verdant glory. He’s referring to His unending mercy and faithfulness, remembering the covenant He made to His chosen ones even though they have strayed and rebelled time and again. He speaks of deliverance for His people and the establishment of His glorious future kingdom.

 

And yet, every spring, don’t we see the Lord doing a new thing, reawakening His creation in breathtaking beauty that even the most gifted artist can’t fully capture?

 

Whenever I see the twitter of birds heralding a new day of spring, blossoms bursting from branches to greet the sun, the laughter of children reveling on playgrounds that had been abandoned for months, I can’t help thinking of rebirth.

 

Rebirth is at the heart of the Gospel message. As Jesus told Nicodemus, the curious Pharisee, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again…. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).

 

The marvel of spiritual rebirth is every bit as amazing as nature’s rebirth every spring. Science can observe the cycles of nature but can’t create them. In a similar and yet far more profound way, we can observe the effects of one becoming born again, even though our understanding of it must be anchored in faith. It is, as Ephesians 2:9 states it, “the gift of God, not by works, that no one can boast.”

So, as we enjoy the new season before it inevitably melts into the heat of summer, we’d be wise to remember that while seasons come and they go, the blessing of being born again is eternal. As Peter the apostle wrote, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever’” (1 Peter 1:23-25). 

Too Much Emphasis on Outward Appearances?

Have you ever considered how much time, energy – and money – we expend working on and worrying about outward appearances?  

The global beauty and personal care industry generated more than $640 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed more than $675 billion this year! That is a lot of makeup, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick, hair color, shampoo, conditioner and other products. For some, it’s just an effort to enhance natural attributes. But for others, it’s more like trying to make the proverbial silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

 

Digital photography and specialized software now make it possible to delete flaws and blemishes from photos. Don’t like those freckles or that beauty mark, scar or wrinkle? No problem. With a few clicks or swipes, we can make them disappear from the photographs. (But they’ll still be on your real person.)

 

We have red carpets where the famous and infamous parade wearing costly gowns and tuxedos; A-list folks trying to look better than their fellow celebrities. And even though their popularity has waned, beauty contests are still being staged, ranging from Little Miss Podunk to Miss America and Miss Universe. Even though we’re told, ‘Beauty is only skin deep.’ 

 

Each of these, along with many other pursuits, are strategically geared toward our fascination with outward appearances: Seeking to impress people with how we look externally.

 

But just as we can’t always judge a book by its cover, what we see of someone on the outside isn’t always what we’d find on the inside – if we ever get close enough to get better acquainted.

 

As a journalist, including serving as editor of newspapers and a magazine for more than 27 years, I interviewed hundreds of famous people, folks you’d immediately recognize by name. In many cases, even as a professional, I couldn’t wait to meet them and get to know what they were really like.

 

Some proved to be an absolute delight, the ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of individuals. Others, however, not so much. There were some who, from the introductory handshake, had an air of “How nice it is for you to meet me.” Ever encounter people like that?

 

Often the personas we see on TV, the movie screen, or standing behind a podium don’t line up with who someone really is. That can be disappointing, but the outward appearance in many cases is all we have to go on. Sometimes when we’re thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to get to know that person and spend time with him (or her)?’ it’s a good thing we can’t. Why pop our bubbles?

 

Interestingly, in the Scriptures the Lord repeatedly shows He has no illusions about outward appearances. Addressing the Pharisees and the religious leaders, Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for their outward hypocrisy. “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside also?’” (Luke 11:39-40).

 

Another time Jesus was speaking to crowds of people and His disciples, denouncing superficial religious practices. Among His statements was this observation: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

 

Clearly Jesus was more concerned about the truth rather than trying to win friends and influence people.

 

Well, if God puts little stock in outward appearances, no matter how good we look, what is important to Him? We find the answer in the account of how He chose shepherd boy David to succeed King Saul, another sad example of someone who looked better on the outside than the inside.

 

The Lord had sent the prophet Samuel to the home of Jesse to find the one He had chosen to become king. After reviewing each of Jesse’s sons – or so it seemed – and having God say, “No, not him…. Not him…,” Samuel learned there was one more son: David, out in the fields tending the sheep. In those days, if shepherds didn’t rank at the bottom of the totem pole, they didn't have far to fall.

 

Nevertheless, Samuel instructed Jesse to send for his youngest son. Because God had told him, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

 

This isn’t the only time the Scriptures tell us the priority God places on the inner person. Proverbs 16:2 tells us, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Similarly, we see in Proverbs 21:2 that “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” If only we could do this with politicians, right?

 

Society places special emphasis on women’s outward beauty, including annual selections of ‘the world’s most beautiful woman.’ But it’s clear the Lord uses very different criteria. In a passage about marriage, the apostle Peter wrote to wives, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and find clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

 

This doesn’t mean He wants us to present ourselves to the outside world as slobs, that we should consciously neglect our outward appearance. But if our desire is to serve Christ and represent Him to folks we encounter each day, it’s our inner person – integrity, compassion, sincerity, and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) – that He wants to shine brightest.

Finding Peace in a World of High Anxiety

The film “High Anxiety,” Mel Brooks’ comedic spoof of Alfred Hitchcock-style suspense mysteries, was released in 1977. Without going into what the film was about, it occurs to me that high anxiety might be a good way of describing many people today, nearly 50 years later.

 

Ever feel like you're approaching a waterfall,
about to go over the edge?

Every day it seems we encounter more and more reasons for feeling anxious and nervous about our everyday lives and society in general. According to one online source, high anxiety can result from the complex interaction of many factors, some of genetic, environmental, and
psychological origin. Stressful life events and many kinds of trauma also can trigger high levels of anxiety. 

 

As I’ve mentioned before, just a daily dose of broadcast news is sufficient to put our teeth on edge. Frankly, I think that’s the newscasters’ goal. You know the mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads”?

 

Anxiety is something I’ve dealt with a lot over the course of my life. Sometimes I couldn’t even trace the source of my anxious state of mind; some days I still wake up with troubling thoughts coursing through my mind. It might involve family matters, finances, making difficult decisions regarding the future, or a variety of other things.

 

When those moments arise, I’ve concluded I have two choices: I can continue to dwell on them, fretting and worrying about things that for the most part I can’t control. Or I can pray, entrusting my concerns to the Lord, since He’s fully capable of handling them. He doesn’t need my help.

 

Several Bible verses serve as reminders of the benefits of letting go of my anxieties and allowing God to deal with them instead. One of my favorites is 1 Peter 5:7, which says we’re to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” When circumstances seem overwhelming, this enables me to pray, ‘Here You are, Lord. I’ll let You wrestle with this. Thank you.”

 

Another powerful passage is found in the fourth chapter of Philippians. After being admonished to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” we’re given this assurance: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4,6-7).

 

Rejoicing – and giving thanks. Those are two activities that seem foreign to many of us when we’re struggling with trials and challenges that have reduced us to bundles of nerves. But they’re important, because doing so means acknowledging our trust in the Lord and His sovereign control of even the most difficult times in our lives.

 

I just finished reading The Hiding Place, written by Corrie ten Boom. It’s about her experiences in Nazi concentration camps after she and her family had harbored Jewish fugitives in their home in the Netherlands during World War II. Even though the events she describes occurred more than 80 years ago, they still seem unbelievable. How could humans be so inhumane?

 

At one point Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were assigned to a huge dormitory jammed with women who also had been arrested and sentenced to grueling labor and horrific living conditions. On top of everything, they discovered their beds – if they could be called that – were infested with fleas.

 

How could things get worse? Corrie wondered. However, her sister encouraged her to be thankful even for the fleas. Corrie found this incomprehensible – until they discovered that the dormitory was the only place they were free from the hateful watch of the Nazi guards. The reason? Because the guards didn’t want to be anywhere near the fleas.

 

The Psalms are replete with declarations about how we can find peace with the Lord even in the most difficult, anxiety-causing circumstances. One I often call to mind is Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” That is not a ‘hope-so’ statement but one of confident assurance, the earnest expectation that the Lord will always do as He has promised.

 

I could cite many more examples, but here’s one that King David, during one of the many times of fierce opposition that he faced during his reign, wrote: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

 

Whether I wake up in the morning with anxious thoughts filling my mind, or something distressing happens during the day, I try to remind myself to rest in promises like these. Even in the troubling 21^st century, we can choose either to endure high anxiety, or to trust in the Lord and cast our fears and concerns upon Him.

What’s Wrong With ‘Do As I Say, Not As I Do’?

The story is told of a fellow named Tom who received a last-minute invitation to a formal dinner party. Excited about the invite, he eagerly accepted. Then he realized his tuxedo was badly wrinkled and needed to be pressed. Tom had to find a dry cleaner that could take care of his tux right away.

 

With a sense of urgency, Tom searched the Yellow Pages (this was years ago, before the Internet) and was delighted to find Same Day Cleaners. Best of all, it was nearby. So, he hopped into his car and rushed over to the shop, confident they could de-wrinkle his tuxedo in plenty of time.

 

When he arrived, Tom told the person at the counter that taking the wrinkles out of his tux was literally a pressing matter. “Well, we can have it for you by next Tuesday,” the clerk responded. “Next Tuesday?” Tom exclaimed. “Your shop is called Same Day Cleaners!” “Yeah, that’s what we’re called, but it’s not what we do.”

 

I recall as a boy I often heard grownups say, in all seriousness, “Do as I say, not as I do.” I think of an older cousin that I looked up to both figuratively and literally – he was six-foot-seven. He smoked cigarettes, but told me, “If you ever start smoking, I’ll break your arm.” I don’t know whether it was his threat or the fact I didn’t think smoking was a smart thing to do, but I never did take up that vice.

 

Even though we don’t hear the phrase as much, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ remains the mindset of many people. It might be the self-proclaimed ‘Christian businessman’ who’s willing to cut corners and shade the truth if it seems expedient. Or the parent who warns against the dangers of drinking but makes time to regularly get together with friends at the local pub. Or the prominent clergyman noted for preaching stirring sermons yet engages in scandalous activities. Maybe you can think of other examples.

 

At its essence, Christianity is a show-and-tell belief system. We’re charged to proclaim the message of the Gospel – that salvation, redemption and eternal life are offered through Jesus Christ alone. But we’re also to model what He and the rest of the Scriptures have taught.

 

Writing to Christ followers in ancient Corinth, the apostle Paul made a statement that at first seems very bold. He said, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Another translation states it this way: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” I sometimes ask myself if I would dare say that. But Paul was merely expressing confidence in his devotion first to Jesus, and then to teaching and discipling others. 

 

Elsewhere he wrote, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice…” (Philippians 4:8). His ministry motto clearly was, ‘Do as I say – and do as I do.”

 

Paul not only expected his own walk to equal his talk but also expected the same from those in whom he invested much time and energy. Writing to his young protégé Timothy, Paul exhorted him to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). 

 

This certainly pertained to how Timothy taught the Scriptures, but also to how he conducted himself. Because Paul quickly added that he should “avoid godless chatter…. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace…” (2 Timothy 2:16,22).

 

Over my years of working with parachurch ministries I have observed many people who faithfully lived out biblical teachings, as well as some who weren’t nearly as consistent in doing so. I’m thankful for those who served as my mentors and positive examples of what a devoted follower of Jesus should look like. But even when I’ve seen instances of folks who failed to do so, it’s reminded me that ultimately Christ, not people, who should be our foremost example.

 

When Jesus gave His disciples what we call the Great Commission – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20) – He was speaking to people who had spent three years with Him, 24/7. They’d seen Him live out the truths He so powerfully expressed. He was truly the incarnate Word of God, practicing what He preached.

If we desire to live out our faith consistently and be able to encourage others to “do as I say – and do as I do,” we’d be wise to follow the admonition of Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” 

The Send-sational Aspect of Faith

“Send” has been a big part of the American communications experience. The short-lived Pony Express became legendary for doing its part in delivering mail sent to and from people in the ever-expanding frontier. We’ve long depended on the post office for delivery of mail sent to us: letters, cards, periodicals, bills, packages – and the ever-popular junk mail.

 

To speed up the process, UPS, FedEx and other delivery services were created. Our urgent need to send and receive mail and parcels had to be met. Fax machines emerged to hasten the delivery of important communications. And these days, we’re sending more than ever. Text messages and email transmitted almost instantaneously simply by pressing the “Send” button. Haste can sometimes lead to unfortunate consequences, however, if something’s written impulsively or in anger.

I’m old enough to remember the hit ballad “You Send Me,” first recorded by Sam Cooke and years later by Aretha Franklin. You might also recall these stirring words:

“Darling, you send me

I know you send me

Darling, you send me

Honest you do, honest you do

Honest you do, whoa-oh

 

You thrill me
I know you, you, you thrill me
Darling you, you, you, you thrill me
Honest you do….”

You get the idea. Of course, that was about an entirely different kind of “send.” But I suppose you could say that as a society, we’ve always been a bit “send-sational.”

 

Shifting the focus, have you ever thought about how central the verb “send” is to the Gospel message? Almost from the start, God has been sending His people to other places to carry out His will. 

 

Abram was perfectly content in Haran, but when he was 75 years old, the Lord told him to leave and go to the land of Canaan. When Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him to a passing caravan, they didn’t realize they were part of God’s plan for sending Joseph to Egypt where he would become instrumental in dealing with the coming famine.

 

Jesse, worried about his older sons who fighting with King Saul against the Philistines, sent his shepherd boy son David to bring them food and see if they were safe. Upon arrival, God turned David into a hero, using him to slay the giant Goliath.

 

After four centuries of Egyptian captivity, it was time to God to free His petulant and rebellious chosen people. He sent Moses to demand that Pharaoh free them. He told Moses:

“…I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:7-10).

 

Later in the Old Testament we read about God calling Isaiah to prophecy to the nation of Israel – even though he regarded himself as totally unworthy. “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty’” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah learned God often sends people not on the basis of ability, but availability.

 

When the Lord called out, Isaiah was ready. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send. And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’’” (Isaiah 6:8). Today, the book of Isaiah is the longest of the prophetic writings; the words God expressed through the prophet still speak to us today.

 

The sending aspect of faith becomes even more prominent in the New Testament. Jesus wanted His message spread throughout the world – the Gospel of salvation, forgiveness, redemption and transformation. To prepare His closest followers to become His ambassadors, the Lord gave them their first missionary assignment:

“…Jesus sent them out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near’….” (Matthew 10:5-16).

 

Both Matthew 9:38 and Luke 10:2 recount Jesus’ the urgency of this commission to His followers: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’”

 

Following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus made His first appearance to the disciples, who had been cowering in fear in a locked room. He reaffirmed that He was sending them out to tell others about Himself. “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’” (John 20:21).

 

And the very last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before His ascension to heaven also concerned where He was sending them: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). He also said, "you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

 

What does this mean for us? Just as a text message or email is of no value until we press “Send,” our impact as followers of Jesus is minimal unless we’re open to go wherever He might choose to send us. It might be to another part of the world, another state, another city, or just across the street. One thing I know: If we respond in obedience, the result is bound to be "send-sational."

We Don’t Have to Justify Being Justified

Years ago, a spiritual mentor offered me sound advice for reading and understanding the Bible. “Always keep in mind that it says what it means – and means what it says.” He also advised, “When you read a passage, if the first sense makes good sense, don’t look for any other sense. 

That counsel has served me well over the years. Having read through the Scriptures numerous times, I’ve concluded if God could create the vast, wonderful universe, and could design our minds and bodies in such incredible ways, He’s certainly capable of compiling a book for clearly teaching us how we’re to live our lives and enjoy a growing relationship with Him.

 

This doesn’t mean that all the principles and truths we find in the Bible are simple or easy to grasp. More than 40 years into my walk of faith, there still are times when I read a passage and wonder, ‘Now what did the Lord mean by that?’

 

Case in point: the words “justified” and “justification.” These are terms frequently discussed and debated by theologians and in seminaries. They’re central to Christian doctrine, yet we often gloss over them without a full appreciation of their magnitude.

 

Years ago, I was mentoring a man who had recently committed his life to Jesus Christ. He had a doctorate in chemistry, and each week this very intelligent man would raise some challenging questions. One of them arose as we read Romans 5:1, which says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“What does ‘justified’ mean?” he asked, not trying to be sarcastic. He said as a chemist he often would have to justify conclusions based on data he had collected. In another sense, he noted sometimes he would try justifying things he did or said to his wife. “Is that what this verse is talking about?” he inquired.

 

One of the perplexities of the English language is a single word can have multiple meanings. We can say a scientific or mathematical conclusion is ‘justified’ by data. And in attempting to explain actions by giving a rationale for them, one might assert what he’s done is ‘justified.’

 

But in this case, “justified” carries a legal connotation. It comes from the Greek word for “righteous,” and means “to declare righteous,” a legal verdict. Used in the context of Romans 5:1 and other Scripture passages, it means being pardoned from the guilt and penalty of sin, and having Christ’s righteousness credited to our account.

 

There’s another sense of the word ‘justified’ that I’m especially familiar with, having spent my entire career working on newspapers, magazines and books. It’s a printing term: Type is considered “justified” if it’s perfectly aligned on both the left and right sides of the column. Type is presented that way in most books of the Bible, with both sides lined up perfectly all the way down the page.

 

Applying this to Romans 5:1, it means that by faith in what Jesus has done on our behalf – taking on the penalty for our sins on the cross – we are eternally “justified,” put in perfect alignment with God the Father. This relationship is based solely on Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

 

As the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus ‘became sin for us’ that we might become the righteousness of God. Looking at our lives from day to day, even moment by moment, we’re inclined to say, “That’s impossible. How could Jesus take on the penalty for every sin I’ve ever done?”

 

We can accept this only through faith – which is what trusting in Christ, striving to walk with Him and serve Him every day, is all about. There will be a day of judgment for each of us. But having been justified by faith, we won’t need to defend or rationalize our sins – the wrong things we’ve done, the wrong things we’ve said, or the wrong things we thought. We’ll be acquitted – by words as simple as, “Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord. By His mercy and grace, my sins are forgiven and I’m a child of God.”

 

According to the Bible, we’re ‘justified’ in believing and saying that! “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). 

 

Romans 4:2-8 puts it this way: “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about – but not before God. What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’…. ‘Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.’” 

 

If this understanding of being “justified” seems too good to be true, remember what my spiritual mentor taught me: The Scriptures say what they mean and mean what they say. Every follower of Jesus Christ has the assurance of being put into right relationship with God solely because of what He has done for us. In God’s sight this makes sense – so don’t look for any other sense.

The Dark May Be Getting Darker, But the Light Is Getting Brighter

How do you like to sleep – light on or lights out? Sleep habits are interesting. Many people refuse to go to bed at night without a light on. For some a nightlight is sufficient, but others require full illumination. Then there are those who prefer sleeping in the dark, the darker the better. Even the glow of an electric alarm clock is too much.

 

Personally, I fall into the darker-the-better camp. But other than for sleeping, I’m not a fan of the dark. Nighttime driving isn’t fun for me anymore, and most of the time “night life” consists of “Wheel of Fortune,” a couple other TV favorites, maybe a little reading and then, lights out.

While opinions about sleepy-time darkness differ, most of us would agree darkness in everyday life can be disconcerting. When people talk about ‘things that go bump in the night,’ more often than not it involves toes banging against some furniture while trying to navigate darkened rooms. If you’re a fan of TV mysteries and crime shows, you’ve probably noticed they often start with nighttime scenes. ‘Uh-oh,’ we think, ‘something bad’s about to happen.’ And typically, it does. Sadly, that’s true for real life as well. Evil likes to lurk in the darkness.

 

Some folks would opine that we’re in “dark times,” and I’m inclined to agree. We might not all concur about what that means, but to have even the brightest day darkened all we need to do is turn on the evening news: Natural disasters. Plane crashes. Severe weather outbreaks. Fatal traffic accidents. Major health crises. Reports of violence in many forms. Bad news, always seeming to get worse.

 

Manifestations of the dark side of humanity, of course, date back to the beginning of time: Cain killing his brother Abel out of jealousy. The Israelites enduring 400 years of oppressive slavery in Egypt. King David having an adulterous affair with Bathsheba, then having her husband Uriah killed in an attempt to cover up his sin. The list could go on – and it’s not a short one.

 

During the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, arguably the darkest day in history, actual darkness preceded His death. “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ When He said this, He breathed His last” (Luke 23:44-46).

 

Out of this unspeakable darkness, however, hope and joy quite literally arose to dispel the despair. Christ’s resurrection three days later declared God’s once-and-for-all-time victory over sin. As John 1:4-5 declared, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” The “light of the world” (John 8:12) had not been extinguished.

 

So, while commiserating over the depths into which humankind seems to have fallen, we can also find many promises in the Scriptures that can give us hope. After writing, “Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief…,” King David declared, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:9,24).

 

Recently a speaker who often addresses students on college campuses observed, “The dark is getting darker, but the light is getting brighter.” She pointed to signs of spiritual revival and renewal at colleges and universities across the country.

 

Even the entertainment industry, often regarded as a promoter of dark images and thinking, is showing signs of life. Actors, directors and producers are boldly washing their hands of the “Hollywood” lifestyles and ideologies, determined to shift to redemptive, uplifting TV programming and films. 

 

Similar trends can be identified in other segments of society, giving us reason to feel encouraged. Most of all, the Scriptures assure us even the most oppressive darkness is no match for our God. “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You” (Psalm 139:11-12).

 

The book of Isaiah and other prophetic books are replete with declarations about darkness, the relentless assault of diabolical behavior upon the world God created. However, they also offer assurances that light ultimately triumphs.  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

 

In perhaps his most beloved Psalm, David draws from his experience of leading flocks of sheep through darkness, when even shadows posed intimidating threats. This is one reason his faith in the Lord was so strong: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

 

In our darkest, most desperate moments we have God’s promise that He is with us, ready to guide us back into the light. “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains” (Psalm 107:13-14). 

Are you, or someone you know, feeling enveloped by darkness? All you need to do is cry out to the Lord. He will deliver you. Darkness, at least for some, might be conducive for a good night’s sleep. But it’s not where we want to live.