“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” John 11:8-10 NIV
But what do you do when its dark outside, and you have somewhere you need to be? You need a light to guide your way.
Simply saying, “Jesus is our light, to guide us in the dark”, is arguably not helpful because it is a poetic image.
My wife received this scripture, as a word from the Lord to us, and to our dear friends. It came about while we were doing our daily devotions. She began with, “where does it say in the bible…” and she stumbled along trying to describe what she “saw” in her mind’s eye. As she spoke, I recalled immediately the scripture that I have quoted above. But I wondered how or why she would be referring to it. I had to do a little internet search for a couple of key words she was using, but came upon John 11. When I placed it in front of her, mid sentence, she looked up at me with a kind of shocked disbelief, and suspicious at the same time, “How did you know?” she asked, and as tears flowed from her eyes as she read it out loud, I knew this was a word from the Lord that she’d been receiving. Neither of us could take the credit for this message. It was given to us in the context of doing our daily devotions. Jesus promised us in Matthew 18:20, that when we gather, even if its just two or three, he is there with us. He is here with us now by the ministry of The Holy Spirit. (see also John 14:26)
God has often done this same thing with us. She’d have something come into her heart to express, but has been unable to put it into words. While she has tried to do so, a scripture has come to my mind, and when I read it to her she’s always replied, “that’s what I’ve been trying to say!”
This is an example in itself of what “listening in the dark” means. The Holy Spirit wanted to speak to each of us. He had a message that was first for us, and soon it would be passed on to others. This is a prophetic message. Prophecy is most times misunderstood as being similar to a fortune teller. It isn’t about predicting the future, that’s the wrong notion. Its about proclaiming the truth. When given in our current context certain scriptures can be particularly applied, that give us light in the dark.
Still confused? When you need to make a decision that is really serious, what you choose to do can have far reaching consequences. Knowing the right choice sustains you through the price you pay for going in that direction. Look at this scripture. When I was young and naïve I didn’t know that suffering comes, even when I’m doing the right things. (See 1 Peter 3:13-16)
Thoughts that stream through my head are things that society says through social media, movies, and novels. What our father’s have taught us, or even what we think the pastor said in that sermon we vaguely remember. In this case we were wrestling for many days, over a prayer burden. We are concerned about some precious people in our lives. “What do we do?”
Do you know that the Bible is where the answer is found? Well, here again another scripture comes to shed light on the situation, and we were already doing it. In the book of James, we hear this advice. If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God! (see James 1:2-8) The asking is quite simply prayer.
In this case he was gracious to tell us emphatically, that we needed to follow, even when we didn’t have the assurance that everything would turn out happily ever after. Look at Revelation 12:11.
“…who loved not their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
or even Daniel 3:16-18 when those three courageous young men faced. They told the tyrant, Nebuchadnezzar, that they would honor God, if that choice leads to their own death. That’s true Faith. Unconditional faith.
When Jesus was tempted by the devil, his answers didn’t contain anything about expected outcomes. The devil tempted Jesus, “if you do this… I will give you this.” Jesus simply answered that he would obey God, he spoke the truth of God’s word, to the devil’s lie.
Jesus was by the devil.
- “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
- “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Psalm 91:11-12
- Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Deuteronomy 6:16
- “All this I will give you,” [Satan] said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
I notice that Jesus didn’t mention an expectation that went along with his obedience. His obedience was unconditional.
Running Down Vimy 