WE'RE WALKING IN THE LIGHT

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin. They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, hoping to take my life. Because of their wickedness do not let them escape; in Your anger, God, bring the nations down.

Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in Your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?

I am under vows to You, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you. For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalm 56

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Imagine being in a situation where you are literally fleeing for your life. There are people pursuing you relentlessly with on purpose: to kill you and wipe you off the face of the earth.

This enemy is relentless and doesn’t rest in hunting you as they press their attack on you. They are searching you all day long. You can’t afford to ever put your guard down as they are schemers and ever looking for a way to hasten your ruin.

And so you run and hide and run some more and hide again, anything to try and avoid those who wish to do you harm.

Sounds like pretty dark, depressing times, right? Times of threat from evil, times of fear and misery, and times of weariness from trying to avoid death from those who want to put you in the grave.

This was the life of David. And although we might never be faced with running for our life from murderers, we do face our share of adversity in life. Hardship takes many forms and we can still be taken to a place of darkness and despair. Anyone is prone to this.

That’s why this psalm, the 56th in the Bible, is so important for us. For although this world can be a dark place at times, the truth of the matter is that we are always walking in the light, a Light (capital L) that pierces any darkness. We are walking in the light of God and His Son, Christ Jesus.

I say this not because I think it but because the Bible tells me (and you) it is so. Look at these words from God’s Holy Word:

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

and

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

When we walk with God and our Savior Jesus every day, we enjoy the privilege of walking in Their light, a Light like no other. For Their Light guides us on the path of righteousness as we ever seek to conform ourselves to Their ways. It illuminates our way to safety and deliverance in Them. And it exposes evil and thwarts the prosperity of any weapons that might be brought against us. There is no better place we can ever be than walking in the Light.

David understood this. It’s the reason he could write the following in today’s psalm:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?

I am under vows to You, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you. For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

These are not words of a man who was feeling defeated, not by any means. Rather, these were words of a man who knew he was walking before God in the Light of life, a Light that drew him to a place of trust, a Light that drew him to a place of thanksgiving and praise, a Light that took away his fears, a Light that delivered him from death to life.

In other words, the Light was David’s hope, just as it is ours. And when we turn to God and Christ Jesus each and every day, we walk in Their Light no matter where we go in life.

Thanks be to God for this truth that assures us today, tomorrow, and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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