Bursting Through

 "When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in." Psalm 112:4....."I would have lost heart, unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:3

I was so very blessed to become a believer under the wise and godly pastoring of a great man. So many things that he said in that one year of being under his ministry have stayed with me in the more than 40 years that have followed. I still seek his counsel and wisdom all these years later. Often he would speak of finding a verse, a promise, a word from Him, and then "living there." It took me some time to realize and experience what it was he spoke of, but when I did, I came to know the deep peace and strength that came from doing so. I believe today, more than any other time in our lives, we need to live in the power of His word. There are so many Scriptures that call me to that, but the above two are where I want to focus today.

Only those lacking in any kind of spiritual discernment would say that there is not a darkness hovering over our nation, and all nations. To some degree this has always been so, but the darkness has grown and is growing. More, that darkness is filled with a demonic life that seeks to smother and destroy all those that it covers. All of us would be without hope if it were not for this truth: for those who are His, no matter the strength and thickness of the darkness, His light will break through it. His light will reach our hearts, our minds. It will put to flight both the enemy in it, and his plans through it. This truth has to be settled in our hearts. We must "know whom we have believed." We must be persuaded that He will show up, even in the thickest darkness.

The other day, in our staff meeting at church, a good brother brought a devotional and talked of our need to expect to see His goodness, glory, and light, no matter how extensive the need, the threat, the giants, or the mountains. Expect it, be looking for it. Know that He will come. He will come and save. He will burst through. He will not fail.

Growing up just outside of Pittsburgh, there were at one time, 7 great steel mills that operated 24/7. One of them was just over the river from our house. Something that took place every night at around 10 pm was that the mills furnaces would release the gases and such from the never ending fires within, and their power was such that the entire sky would be flooded with an orange light. Such was its strength that my room would flare with that light. Every night. Every night I could expect it, and every night it would come. No matter how dark the night, it would come. So it is with the Father and His people. So it will always be with the Father and His people.

Two thousand years ago, the Father sent His Son into a world cloaked in darkness. His Son, Jesus Christ is Light, and as His Word says, "In Him there is no darkness at all." The Jews had long been looking for Him, expecting Him. Even many non-Jews had a sense of something that was coming, that would change everything. His Light was about to burst through. It did burst through, and it has burst through in countless ways since. We can expect it. It will come. It has come. In Jesus Christ, it will continue to come. But we must be looking and expecting. Are we? Are you?

He promised that "the people who live in darkness will see a great light." At age 29, my life, shrouded in darkness, saw a great light. It was Christ the King. Many times since, as darkness sought to overtake me, His light came bursting through. The darkness will always be the darkness, seeking to overtake us. His light, if we will believe and trust it, will always burst through.....if we will live in the trust and expectation that it will. We will see His light, His goodness, His life. The darkest dungeon will flame with His light. Never cease to look for it, for He will not cease to send it.

Blessings,

Pastor O