The year continues. Each new day bringing with it each new opportunity. For, to live, is to face opportunity. Choices. Good. Bad. In-between. They’re there. Waiting. Presenting. A gift to embrace. A burden to bear. A load to shuck. Ever-present. Unrelenting. Growing. Building. Pursuing.
This, it seems to me, is the moment right after the senses are reached from the night’s sleep. That moment when the world comes to life. It is there waiting alongside the steeping of the tea or the brewing of the coffee. That moment when the day’s opportunities unfold and history waits. And it is there also–tucked away within each new day–that new morning mercies are presented. Oh, don’t miss God’s glorious gift–His new morning mercies–waiting for any who would embrace history for what it is…new, beautiful, and full of opportunity.
The question is, however, will you embrace them–God’s new morning mercies–in the shadows or in the light?
The Shadows. This is the wisdom of the world as handed down–once and for all through Satan–to humanity in his whispers. The apostle Paul understood this well, and wrote…
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12
The shadows are the distractions of pleasure that draws your mind away once again from the true, the good, and the beautiful. It is the click of a website. The running to the bottle. The nursing of a thought that keeps bitterness around–unconfessed and festering–because of a good memory that just wont relent. The reaching for another alleviator–alcohol, prescription drugs, mindless entertainment–to dull, to numb, to erase life’s brokenness. Pleasure must be reached, says the Enemy, at all costs. Pain is not good, he mutters, and presses harder to anesthetize. This is the whisper, “…command that these stones become bread.”.
The shadows are the strivings for power. They are the fears and insecurities that lead to outbursts of anger. The hurting of relationships, the losing of respect, and the muddying of your witness of Christ. They are the lambasting of people in pursuit of the “position”. They are the unresolved conflicts…the unforgiven past…and the necessity of control. This is the whisper “…throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’ and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”.
The shadows are the pursuits of prestige. They are the people-worshippers and the manipulators of man’s opinions so much so that honesty is secondary and saving face is primary. They are the fudgers of taxes, of resumes, of business dealings, and of spoken words. They are the fighters for the stage…for the recognition…for the applause. This is the whisper… “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”.
The Light. This is the wisdom of God as handed down–once and for all through His Holy Spirit–to humanity in His Word. The Psalmist understood this, and wrote…
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
The light is the opening of God’s Word to see Him there. To hear from His voice–the truths of Scripture. That there is a God who sees, who hears, who listens, and who answers. There is a God who loves. Who cares. Who sutures. Who binds up and heals. To understand that He died so that all who believe in Him would live–not just forever with Him, but now in the present–in the moment. And then to do what He did for us. Thus, loving the unlovable. Forgiving the unforgivable. Speaking for the speechless.
The light is to go to God in prayer. Head bent in submission. Eyes closed in an acceptance of vulnerability. Acknowledging His supremacy. Praising Him for His character. Seeking His forgiveness for the many sins committed against Him and His Word. Thanking Him for making a way for forgiveness of those sins through Christ. Asking for help…for guidance…for strength. Seeking favor for those we love. Those in need. Those who are helpless and weak.
The light is to embrace new morning mercies from God…in His Word…in prayer…ready for each new day. Each new moment in history–unique, beautiful, and full of opportunity.
Embrace God’s new morning mercies–in the light–and change history forever!
— January 25, 2019