You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. 2 Samuel 22:29 (NIV)
Wherever you are in your 90 days of reading, you either have or will, run across this passage. When I read it, I had to go back and re-read it several times just to make sure it penetrated through the thickness of my understanding.
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a lot of negativity in our culture these days. People arelosing jobs, houses, and retirement nest eggs. Our country has become paralyzed, terrorized and polarized in a variety of places. And it all has seemingly happened in the blink of an eye!
I attended a conference recently that described the unbelievable horror of the lives of theinnocent at the hands of perpetrators. I’m speaking of the growing cancer of global slavery—in all it’s malevolent forms. Now, that’s darkness! Then, I walked into my counseling office inour beautiful new building and meditated on the dreams, hopes and expectations thataccompanied the planning, preparation and triumphant opening of the Randy & Rod Halvorson ReCreation Center not so long ago. I envisioned kids engaged in healthy, fun activities during the so-called “dangerous” weekday hours (3-5). I saw teens, estranged from their families for a variety of reasons, seeking a safe place to talk with people who understand, instead of hitting the streets where, according to police reports, they are lured or abducted into unspeakablebehaviors within 48 hours.
I read and re-read that passage in 2 Samuel and re-affirmed for myself that I would never, never, never, never give in (to rephrase Winston Churchill’s famous statement) to the forces of darkness, so help me God!
What our Heavenly Father has given for Pastor Tim to create – the meta church – can notpossibly happen without all of us who “get it” to realign our priorities, stir up our enthusiasm and refuse to quit! Our Lord needs us to shine the lamp of His love, grace and forgiveness into the darkness of despair, loneliness and hopelessness. Only then will that darkness fade into light.
Wow! Where to start? Try talking to the Sustainer and Creator of the universe first for yourparticular assignment. Then, gloom and doom, step aside! God’s partners are on the move and their lights are on high beam!
(All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke.) Let’s not do “nothing.” Let’s let God’s light shine through us until this property truly becomes the “beacon on the hill” redeeming the lost, comforting the afflicted and refreshing the weary.
By Pastor Sally Jo Holmes
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a lot of negativity in our culture these days. People arelosing jobs, houses, and retirement nest eggs. Our country has become paralyzed, terrorized and polarized in a variety of places. And it all has seemingly happened in the blink of an eye!
I attended a conference recently that described the unbelievable horror of the lives of theinnocent at the hands of perpetrators. I’m speaking of the growing cancer of global slavery—in all it’s malevolent forms. Now, that’s darkness! Then, I walked into my counseling office inour beautiful new building and meditated on the dreams, hopes and expectations thataccompanied the planning, preparation and triumphant opening of the Randy & Rod Halvorson ReCreation Center not so long ago. I envisioned kids engaged in healthy, fun activities during the so-called “dangerous” weekday hours (3-5). I saw teens, estranged from their families for a variety of reasons, seeking a safe place to talk with people who understand, instead of hitting the streets where, according to police reports, they are lured or abducted into unspeakablebehaviors within 48 hours.
I read and re-read that passage in 2 Samuel and re-affirmed for myself that I would never, never, never, never give in (to rephrase Winston Churchill’s famous statement) to the forces of darkness, so help me God!
What our Heavenly Father has given for Pastor Tim to create – the meta church – can notpossibly happen without all of us who “get it” to realign our priorities, stir up our enthusiasm and refuse to quit! Our Lord needs us to shine the lamp of His love, grace and forgiveness into the darkness of despair, loneliness and hopelessness. Only then will that darkness fade into light.
Wow! Where to start? Try talking to the Sustainer and Creator of the universe first for yourparticular assignment. Then, gloom and doom, step aside! God’s partners are on the move and their lights are on high beam!
(All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke.) Let’s not do “nothing.” Let’s let God’s light shine through us until this property truly becomes the “beacon on the hill” redeeming the lost, comforting the afflicted and refreshing the weary.
By Pastor Sally Jo Holmes
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