Lightness and darkness

Many parts of the bible -- and especially those written by John -- emphasize differences between lightness and darkness, with those concepts appearing to represent righteousness and unrighteousness. This starts right at the beginning of the bible (Genesis 1:4-5, KJV),

God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Note that God divided, or separated, the two. Note, also, that "the evening and the morning" were the first "day." That is, morning (lightness) follows the evening (darkness), and both together go by the same term used to describe the light -- that is, "day." The implication, it would seem, is that lightness will eventually overcome darkness.

The New Testament writers expand upon that dichotomy. For example, Paul writes (1 Thessalonians 5:5, KJV),

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

As we pray, let us remember our pursuit of the "lightness" and be watchful for dangers of the "darkness."

I said not, seek ye me in vain

Numbers 10 outlines God's military instructions to the Israelites. What's interesting about that material is that God does not provide mechanical instructions on the fundamentals of fighting. Rather, God instructs the Israelites on how to call for his help (Numbers 10:9, KJV),

If ye go to war ... then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Note the certainty of the wording: "ye shall be remembered" and "ye shall be saved." Just by calling to God! This passage is surely also intended as instruction to us. When we "go to war," meaning when we encounter earthly or spiritual struggles, we should call to God, and he will hear us and save us.

That passage brings to mind a famous verse from Isaiah 45:19 (KJV),

I said not, ... seek ye me in vain.

God promises that calling to him is not a fruitless endeavor. He hears, he protects, and he saves. 

Let them not turn again to folly

Although biblical scholars disagree about its historical setting, the theological content of Psalm 85 clearly speaks on the topic of God's forgiveness. Verses 2-3 (KJV) praise God for washing away sin,

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin ... Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Those words of Mercy are meant to give us peace. Verse 8 (KJV) reads,

He will speak peace unto his people.

We should feel that peace, and we should take great joy, because that (undeserved) mercy is God's greatest gift to us. Above all, we should be thankful.

BUT, as part of that thankfulness, verse 8 (KJV) also highlights an important part of that thankfulness,

But let them not turn again to folly.

Repeating the very sins for which we were just forgiven is one of the saddest states in which we find ourselves. Solomon puts it bluntly (Proverbs 26:11, KJV),

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

God's mercy is infinite, but let us show our thankfulness by not turning again to our folly. 

Asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord

Chapter 9 of Joshua finds the Israelites entering an ill-advised peace treaty with the Gibeonites. God had already warned to Israelites not to fraternize with the inhabitants of the land into which they were entering. And subsequent events in the bible demonstrate that such fraternization would come back to bite the Israelites.

So why do they do it? Partly because the Gibeonites manage to deceive the Israelites. But verse 14 (KJV) points to the real reason:

The [Israelites] ... asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

Consider how often we fall into trouble for the exact same reason. Tricky situations, troubling circumstances, and impending troubles all require us to make decisions. But we don't have to make those decisions alone! First, we should "ask counsel at the mouth of the the Lord" and then (spiritually) listen for a response.

This is harder than it sounds, because our sinful natures mislead us to rely on our own devices and manipulations. The key is to fully trust God. As the psalmist says to God in Psalm 36:9 (KJV),

With thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Daniel's prayer schedule

Psalm 55:17 (KJV) reads,

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

That prayer "schedule" sounds similar to what appears in chapter 6 of Daniel. When King Darius signs a law requiring everyone to pray only to him, a defiant Daniel maintains his (evidently) already-existent prayer schedule (Daniel 6:10, KJV),

He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.

As punishment, Daniel then gets thrown into the lion's den, where ultimately he is saved by God.

There is nothing magical about praying three times per day. There certainly is nothing in God's commandments that specifies that particular number. Yet, by establishing a prayer "schedule" like that, a person gets closer to satisfying Paul's admonition to "pray without ceasing."

So, perhaps it makes sense for us to attempt something similar. Let us find three times throughout the day to set aside for prayer.

What we left behind

In the bible, ancient Egypt appears to represent a state in which we all find ourselves. While residing in Egypt, the Israelites were prosperous, they were luxurious, they were safe. But they were not free. They then left that world for the far-less-glamorous reality of life wondering through the desert.

Likewise, our lives of sin might bring earthly pleasures and treasures, but we are captive to that sin. In leaving those lives of sin, we enter into a different world, one where we must rely upon God's protection.

But leaving those lives of sin inevitable involves the occasional "looking back." In Numbers 20:5 (KJV), the Israelites grumble to Moses,

Wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Note that those items listed are all earthly delights. Important ones, sure, especially in the case of water. But this grumbling for earthly items shows a lack of trust in God.

We fall into this same mindset. And when we do, we should recall the words of David in Psalm 56:11-13 (KJV),

In God have I put my trust ... for thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Foresee evil, and hide

Remaining with the pursuit of "wisdom" from the book of Proverbs, the verse presented in Proverbs 22:3 (KJV) holds an important life lesson. It reads,

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Every single moment of every single day, sin lurks in our path. This verse encourages us, with the guidance of God, to be our own spiritual coach. We should make an effort to "foresee the evil," and then once we identify it, we should "hide ourselves" from it.

On the contrary, those who lack wisdom "pass on," meaning they do not seek to avoid the evil. And then they must suffer the consequences.

It's a relatively simple verse, but one that should guide our actions throughout every day.