Every night it’s the same routine.
My 20 month old makes his climb up the stairs, in anticipation of his bath and bedtime story. He typically makes it halfway up, then turns to me slowly and whispers, “ssssh!”
He continues his trek to the top and toddles toward our dark playroom. He steps cautiously closer to the darkness and his “ssssh,” again echoes in my ear.
Suddenly he screams, “light, light, light,” and motions for me to flip the switch.
He knows exactly where it is, but his little fingers just can’t quite reach.
It struck me one particular night that the darkness never stops him, it just makes him pause and turn to me for help.
It’s a fun momma game/ritual that I’ve come to anticipate.
But it wasn’t until recently I started to see something more in all this.
I ran into a verse that struck a light inside my soul and pulled me into a greater story that’s already been told.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 declares something spectacular about my children and about us as believers.
“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.”
My personal journey (up the stairs) of my life has been one full of light and darkness. I can look back and see all the times my Father has been there, ready and waiting for me to pause, so he can flip the switch and bring me back into his marvelous light.
I often wonder how many times he’s rescued me without my knowing. How many times he’s saved me from something I thought was better than his best?
Light has always been part of his preparation. It was his first answer to creations call for glory and beauty as darkness was over the face of the deep. And from the beginning, light was declared as good!
You see, I am forgetful.
I forget that He knows.
I forget he formed me in my mother’s womb and counts the number of hairs on my head.
I forget God.
Psalm 119 is David’s deep declaration of his love for God.
In verse 16 he promises that he will not forget God’s word.
He goes on to say this...
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."
“Give me life according to your word!”
“Give me understanding, lead me in the path of your commandments.”
"Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”
What David is really asking for is More light. More Jesus. More Hope.
If you read Psalm 119 in its entirety, you’ll see David’s journey through the light and darkness of life. You’ll see a man after God’s own heart and in the next breath, a lost sheep in need of a shepherd.
Oh David, I totally get it. I see how easy it is to slip away from the path of righteousness. I see how easy darkness can settle in and look like light. I see you David.
What does your “David darkness” look like?
Is fear crippling you?
Are you waiting on test results?
Longing for something that seems so far from reach?
Dear friend, let our Father flip the switch.
His light is a perfect promise, sent in the form of His Son.
His Spirit- our helper, comforter, and friend is an internal, eternal, invisible, made visible gift.
The creation story shines a big spotlight on what happens in our lives spiritually when we let His light in.
We create. We multiply, We gather. We dwell. We walk with God in the garden of our heart.
When the first words of our God declare, “Let there be light,” we should trust that.
We should trust as HE daily declares that His light will lead us. Even when it gets dark.
So let’s trust him- let’s follow the little children toward darkness with a deep assurance that HE and WE can flip the switch and let a little light shine.
Let’s tell our darkness to “ssssh,” and watch what happens when we let there be light.
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