Light In The Darkness

“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: [he is] gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” (Ps 112:4 AV)

Again, we see the writer make a point of the compassion of God.  This time, hope is the manifestation.  If hope is wanting, it is not of the LORD’s doing.  Unless, of course, the one seeking hope is not upright.  For those who seek to live right, even if they fail, there is always hope.  A light in the darkness is more comforting than one realizes.  Our writer is suffering from the persecutions of the wicked.  His enemies, at least at the time, seem to be winning.  He is on the downward slope of a battle he feels he cannot win.  But like Job, the one thing his enemies cannot take by force is his character and integrity.  Therefore, he is upright.  Sometimes we get the wrong idea of what it means to have integrity, be upright, or be righteous.  Some would have us believe there is a discernable mark or line in the sand as to the righteous character of a saint.  There seems to be a checklist of those things that will automatically label someone as wicked and would label others as righteous.  However, if we consider Lot, one must agree that it is not necessarily the past that determines someone’s character, but rather, how they respond.  Lot was willing to give up his daughter to abusers.  He lost his entire family but two daughters.  These two daughters got him drunk and became pregnant by him.  Yet, the Bible calls him just.  David is considered a man after God’s own heart, yet he was guilty of adultery and murder.  Paul was considered a holy man, yet he deliberately ignored the leading of the Holy Spirit and wound up in prison because of it.  The list goes on and on.  What sets these men apart is their response to their failures.  Lot decided to trust God.  David repented and did what he could to fix the damage.  Paul used his captivity as a means to author several books of the Bible.  To those who fight, no matter how much they win or lose, God calls them upright.  And to the upright, there is hope.

I have had plenty of situations, as described above.  Hunting was a pastime of mine.  I can tell you by experience that a light in the darkness is a source of comfort, direction, and hope for the future.  The examples I can share are so numerous, space prohibits me from sharing them all.  However, there is one example I can give that illustrates this experience.  In the dark, the woods look completely different.  Walking to a tree stand for an evening hunt, the woods look familiar.  Once the sun goes down and you have to figure out how to get out, they look completely different.  It can become a bit concerning if you are a novice.  My father-in-law taught me how to hunt.  He would place me in a stand in the pitch black morning.  Once noontime arrived, I knew the woods well enough to find my way back for lunch.  However, it was that evening hunt that concerned me the most.  As we marched toward the stand, my father-in-law told me to stay in the stand until he came and got me.  I have to be honest, the times he came quickly were welcomed.  However, there were times he did do so.  I would be an hour or so after dark until I saw that flashlight heading my way.  But when I saw that flashlight in the distance, I knew my guide was on his way.

For those who will stay upon the commands of the word of God, there is hope.  There is a light in the darkness.  There is guidance and comfort.  There is concern and affirmation.  As long as I trusted my guide and stayed in the tree stand, no matter how long it took, that light would come.  No matter the sounds and shadows unfamiliar to a city-slicker like me were worrisome, as long as I stayed in that stand as instructed, that light in the darkness would come.  The same is true of the LORD.  If we will simply do as He asks, and confess and forsake when we don’t, the light in the darkness will be there.  It will be there when He determines the best time for that light might be.  The light in the darkness may be the presence of the Holy Spirit.  It may be a still, small voice.  It may be the comfort and counsel offered by a godly person.  Or, more than likely, the light in the darkness is the affirming word of God.  Regardless of what form it takes, look for it.  Stay faithful.  Stay put.  Do as you are asked and the light will come.