Day 74: Overcoming Ourselves: Seeking Jesus In The Darkness.
Read: John 3:1 - 17
What is the one thing that you’re scared of? Think about that for just a few moments. I mean what is or who is it that really frightens you? Perhaps it’s
something you think of regularly or maybe it’s something or someone you
would much rather go far out of your way to avoid. Perhaps it is a
situation the mere thought of which sends waves of shivers rushing down your spine. The one thing, the one person, the one place, the situation you pray does not become the least bit obvious that you are
avoiding at all costs. The one thing, the one person, the one place, the
one situation, the one time you will become instantly defensive over,
the one's excused by 'plausible deniability'?
I know that it is the beginning of the weekend. I can guess that for most it has been a long week filled with long hours of pre-christmas "I can't wait for the Christmas Party" boredom, tedium and rushing from pillar to post to make travel arrangements, buying the right gifts and then shipping them to all the right places around
our vast globe, in the process making sure you get just the right card
for this person or that, writing the perfect note explaining why you
didn't do a better job of keeping in touch like you so eloquently
promised the year before then being sure you've bought sufficient
numbers of forever stamps to mail them. Yes, perhaps these are those most frightening things.
For many of us folks in the real world, we have this conscious or subconscious fear of the darkness that night time brings. We cannot always see where we are going. We cannot clearly see or distinguish the faces of the people walking up and down the city sidewalks. We may possibly become more naturally suspicious, that these
suspicions will overwhelm our otherwise naturally confident nature. We
will enter our twilight zones in secret because we do not want to admit
to anyone, including ourselves let alone to family, friends or
neighbors, that we are trying to overcome something about ourselves that we would never otherwise do in the day light - that is to seek the Light of God, the true Light of This world - His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Do you remember the story of Nicodemus? He was a highly esteemed member
of the Pharisees, a very influential religious sect that gave Jesus a
lot of trouble. There was one - named Nicodemus - who wanted to
learn from Jesus. However, he was greatly afraid of his brethren. So he
secretly went to Jesus at night so he would not be seen. Nicodemus, this greatest of teachers, whose knowledge of the Hebrew Scripture was second to no one, feared perhaps there was something of greatest significance to him that was missing, something that he was willing to risk everything he had to find it. I am wondering, if we wearing Nicodemus' shoes that night, what is it or who is it we would need to walk into the night to overcome, to find the only true Light of our salvation?
Let Us Pray: Dear God, please give me the courage to enter the
darkness, to get in touch with and face all my fears so I don't set
myself up to fail. And please lead me to the help I need to overcome
them so I can honestly say with David, 'I sought the Lord, and he
answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.' (Psalm 34:4) Thank you
for guiding me through my darkness toward Your marvelous light and new
hope. I thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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Read: John 3:1 - 17
What is the one thing that you’re scared of? Think about that for just a few moments. I mean what is or who is it that really frightens you? Perhaps it’s something you think of regularly or maybe it’s something or someone you would much rather go far out of your way to avoid. Perhaps it is a situation the mere thought of which sends waves of shivers rushing down your spine. The one thing, the one person, the one place, the situation you pray does not become the least bit obvious that you are avoiding at all costs. The one thing, the one person, the one place, the one situation, the one time you will become instantly defensive over, the one's excused by 'plausible deniability'?
I know that it is the beginning of the weekend. I can guess that for most it has been a long week filled with long hours of pre-christmas "I can't wait for the Christmas Party" boredom, tedium and rushing from pillar to post to make travel arrangements, buying the right gifts and then shipping them to all the right places around our vast globe, in the process making sure you get just the right card for this person or that, writing the perfect note explaining why you didn't do a better job of keeping in touch like you so eloquently promised the year before then being sure you've bought sufficient numbers of forever stamps to mail them. Yes, perhaps these are those most frightening things.
For many of us folks in the real world, we have this conscious or subconscious fear of the darkness that night time brings. We cannot always see where we are going. We cannot clearly see or distinguish the faces of the people walking up and down the city sidewalks. We may possibly become more naturally suspicious, that these suspicions will overwhelm our otherwise naturally confident nature. We will enter our twilight zones in secret because we do not want to admit to anyone, including ourselves let alone to family, friends or neighbors, that we are trying to overcome something about ourselves that we would never otherwise do in the day light - that is to seek the Light of God, the true Light of This world - His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Do you remember the story of Nicodemus? He was a highly esteemed member of the Pharisees, a very influential religious sect that gave Jesus a lot of trouble. There was one - named Nicodemus - who wanted to learn from Jesus. However, he was greatly afraid of his brethren. So he secretly went to Jesus at night so he would not be seen. Nicodemus, this greatest of teachers, whose knowledge of the Hebrew Scripture was second to no one, feared perhaps there was something of greatest significance to him that was missing, something that he was willing to risk everything he had to find it. I am wondering, if we wearing Nicodemus' shoes that night, what is it or who is it we would need to walk into the night to overcome, to find the only true Light of our salvation?
Let Us Pray: Dear God, please give me the courage to enter the darkness, to get in touch with and face all my fears so I don't set myself up to fail. And please lead me to the help I need to overcome them so I can honestly say with David, 'I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.' (Psalm 34:4) Thank you for guiding me through my darkness toward Your marvelous light and new hope. I thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, Amen.
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