Thomas Kinkade paints a winter scene. Snow blanketed the ground and the pine trees. Night is falling, and the landscape is enveloped in semi-darkness. A cabin incased the shadows. The scene is one of gloom.
Then the artist uses some yellow and orange and brighte4r tints, And puts a cheerful glow on a lamp and lights the cabin windows. The light, its golden rays reflecting on the snow, completely transformed the impression given by the painting. In contrast to the cold darkness of the surrounding forest, the light creates a warm feeling of love and security.
◆ It’s Light That Makes a Difference
- First thing that God created was light
- v. He divided the light from darkness
- The end of Jesus life was darkness
- 9th plague of Egypt - Ex. 10:21
- All the land of Egyp a darkness that could be felt
◆ David’s So often in darkness
— Cry
2 Sam 22:29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
Ps 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
◆ Found In All of Us
Isa 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Matt 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
◆ Man’s Love of Darkness
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
◆ Change Available for Us
2 Cor 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Earth’s Spiritual Realm
— I’ve been reading ”This Present Darkness” (Frank Peretti)
- Novel of the Spiritual warfare that goes on around us
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
◆ Deadly In the End
2 Pet 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains
❶ Two Kinds of Spiritual Darkness
1. Darkness as a result of sin
2. Darkness of the unknown
❷ Walking in Darkness
- In the physical worls when the light goes out the room does not change
- If the room is familiar we can move around in it fairly well
- Darkness does not change physical reality, but it does do these things:
1. It can trigger fear and panic.
2. It tends to confuse us, diminishing our sense of control.
3. It lessens and distorts our ability to perceive reality
❸ How to Walk in Darkness
- Job speaks of darkness more than any other book
- 33 times
Job 23
1. He affirmed his faith - v.3-6
> 2. He avoided confusion by sticking to what He knew - v. 11-12
3. His lone reality was the Word
- v. 5, 12
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God
--- Isaiah 50:10
