THE DARKNESS IS NEVER DARK...

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 36 (NRSV)

God saves humans and animals

Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in their hearts;
there is no fear of God
before their eyes.
For they flatter themselves in their own eyes
that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;
they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
They plot mischief while on their beds;
they are set on a way that is not good;
they do not reject evil.

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the evildoers lie prostrate;
they are thrust down, unable to rise.

DEVOTION

Today, I am moved by the verses which read, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God!...For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

I often think about God’s Love and Word as a lamp--or light--unto my pathway. Whenever I feel lost or afraid in the darkness of my life I remind myself that Jesus is the light of the world.

Although I cannot always see my way forward, I hold onto the hand of The One who can. I once heard the most beautiful song whilst visiting a church in my town. It was entitled, “Our Darkness” and the lyrics were, “Our darkness is never darkness in Your sight: The deepest night is clear as the daylight (Taizé).”

I have thought about those lyrics many, many times when I have stumbled in the darkness; I have offered those lyrics to others as they clung to God’s hand in the darkness of a divorce, job loss, home foreclosure, death of a spouse or child, or any other difficult circumstance.

Our darkness is never darkness in Your sight: The deepest night is clear as the daylight…

Isn’t it grand to know that Love is our Light and Light will always lead us safely home?

I don’t know about you, but I associate home with love, warmth and good food. Today’s psalm says, “[We] feast on the abundance of your house, and you give [us] drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Aren’t God’s blessings toward us abundant?

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:41).” What an extravagant “meal!”

I am so glad that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. As Jesus gave his body and his blood, he became for us an “abundant feast” that never, ever runs out!

Today—and every day—I thank God for Jesus who is Love, Light, Feast, and Home. As long as I walk with Jesus, I know that I will always be all right!

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