There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [John 3:18-20 (NLT)]
Occasionally, I’ll spot a partially open moonflower (Ipomoea alba) during an early morning walk at the park. While the Moonflower’s cousin the Morning Glory opens wide to welcome the sunlight, the Moonflower prefers darkness. It’s only when the sun sets that it opens to a large trumpet-shaped bloom. Rather than competing during the day with brightly colored flowers for pollinators like bees and butterflies, Moonflowers enjoy pollinators like bats and moths at night. As the morning sun rises, the Moonflower again rejects the light and rolls up into itself.
The Moonflower’s rejection of the sun reminds me of those people who, preferring darkness, reject Jesus, the light of the world. Some people choose the dark because they don’t know or understand God’s word or doubt its authenticity. At best, they may think of Scripture as a guide to good living and, at worst, a work of fiction along the lines of The Odyssey and The Iliad. Others may reject the light because of painful personal experiences with the church, the hypocrisy they’ve seen in people claiming to be Christ’s followers, or the church’s failures regarding abuse, morality, prejudice, and righting wrongs.
While a Moonflower can never become a Morning Glory in my garden, they can in God’s! An unbeliever can become a believer and glory in the light of Christ. But, for that to happen, we must do a better job of sharing the light of the Lord and being Christ-like in all we do. As God’s gardeners, if we gently correct misunderstandings and misconceptions and witness Jesus in our words and actions, some of those choosing darkness may turn to God’s light.
Nevertheless, while some people may have their reasons for rejecting the light, I suspect many reject Jesus simply because (like a Moonflower) they prefer the darkness to the light. While they might even know the truth of Christianity, they’re like the Jews who believed in Jesus but, fearful of the Pharisees, wouldn’t admit it and remained in the darkness. John tells us they “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” [12:43] Perhaps, like the rich man who walked away from Jesus because he valued his earthly possessions more than eternal life, they find the ideas of sacrifice, selflessness, humility, submission, righteousness, repentance, or forgiveness to be stumbling blocks. The cost of discipleship, of carrying their own cross and following Christ—is too great. Jesus may stand at the door and knock, but it’s up to each person to decide whether to open it! Sadly, not everyone will.
The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side. [G.K. Chesterton]
When his life turned from riches to rags and all he loved and possessed (along with his health) was taken from him, Job’s friends came and silently sat with him on the ground for seven days. While this seems odd to us, it was perfectly normal in Job’s day. Seven days was the traditional mourning period and tradition held that those visiting a mourner weren’t to speak until the mourner spoke first. As it turned out, his friends’ compassionate silence was the kindest thing they did for Job. Things rapidly went downhill as soon as the three men opened their mouths!
After Israel accepted the Lord’s Covenant, Moses returned to the base of Mt. Sinai with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders. It was then that every one of those men gazed upon the God of Israel from afar and ate a covenant meal in His presence. Before Moses departed to climb up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, he entrusted the Israelites to Aaron and the elders who then went back to their camp. Moses, accompanied by his servant/apprentice Joshua, climbed a short way up the mountain and a cloud covered it. The two men made camp and stayed there for the next six days. On the seventh day, God called to Moses from within the cloud and the Israelites’ leader disappeared into the mist.
Tithe means ten percent and the concept of the making a tithe is first found in Genesis. After being blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a “priest of God Most High,” Abram/Abraham gave him a tenth of all the goods he recovered from Kedorlaomer’s army after rescuing Lot. [14:20] After Jacob asked for God’s protection and provision, he pledged a tenth of his future blessings to Him. [28:22]
Some of the lesser-known heroes of the Bible are found in the lists of David’s mightiest men. Among his warriors, David’s mighty Three had the most authority, influence, and leadership. Their leader was Jashobeam, a man who once used his spear to kill 800 warriors in a single battle. Next in rank was Eleazar who remained with David in battle when the rest of the troops fled. He killed Philistines until he no longer could lift his sword. The third of the Three was Shammah. After being attacked in a field by the Philistines, the troops fled. Shammah alone remained to defend it and bring victory to Israel. These three were so devoted to David that, when he expressed a desire for fresh water from Bethlehem, they risked their lives to break through enemy lines to get some for him. David’s Three were among the best of the best when it came to valor, courage, and allegiance.
When writing about forgiveness these last few days, I wondered why we find it so difficult to forgive. Perhaps it’s because, in our troubled hearts, we want to even the score before doing so. Wanting to retaliate in some way, bitterness and resentment grow and eat at us until we can extract our pound of flesh.
Devotions of the Heart 