Guiding Light….
There was a time when I believed Murphy’s law was the gospel truth to all unknown possibilities in my life. I believed more in Murphy’s law than in the grace of God. As we mature in Christ, we realize, how it is God, who guides us, protects us…, graces us with unbelievable moments of miraculous wonder. How, those uncertain situations, if we believe and have faith, can end in victory, rather than defeat. We begin to believe in his power, and Murphy, and his law of inevitable destruction, suddenly fade away. In Isaiah 41:10, God tells us not to fear, because He is with us every step of the way. No darkness, no enemy, or anyone’s Murphy, can keep us from our destined victory, if we believe in God’s power. Every day we can experience God’s guiding light, if we seek and meditate on Him, and read His word. Some days, when I notice I have not been reading the word as often as I should, I begin to feel darkness set in, attacking me at will. In a state of confusion, I say to Him, “Lord, I know I have not been praying as I should, or reading the word like I have done in the past”. “I am so consumed by other issues of life”. “I feel terrible, and see I am growing weary”. Because of the attacks weakening my spirit, my flesh wants to throw in the towel. Be a “regular person”, per se. But my heart, it wants to seek His word, and embrace it, so His spirit can flush the darkness, and allow me to feel wholeness once again. It is when I meditate on my favorite scripture, Isaiah 40:31, I find my way back…, drawing in his strength, and reminding myself, I am an eagle who does not become weary, and who has the faith to continue on even when my spirit wanes. I conclude, then, being regular is overrated. I rejoice knowing there is nothing like basking in the word of God.
For me, staying in the word each, and every day is not easy. I love the Lord with all my heart, but there are times in my life, when conglomerate circumstances gradually pull me away from my insatiable spiritual self. I no longer relish reading the word, but rather resting in the flesh. And though these are lazy moments in time when I long to simply clear my mind, I feel guilty knowing the ultimate sacrifice is my spirit. For if there were ever still an ounce of inevitable doom in my life when darkness prevailed, it is the moment I let my guard down. And this darkness, which comes in many forms, can be as extreme, as a haunting of past hurtful events flooding the subconscious, confusing us as to the reason why they have reoccurred in the first place. Or as minute, as the discomforting feeling we experience when we overeat, possibly because we are too bogged down with other aspects in life to cook a meal. And though I find time to praise his name, thanking him for my life, it is not enough. Because as I said, the moment I neglect my spiritual walk, it is the moment my shield begins to crumble. Though I have filled my physical body, spiritually, I am still starving. I have not fed my spirit. I have not read His word. And those days when there is little, to no word, where we are not feeding our spirit, filling up with his supernatural power, when we are just running the race, it is then when we experience an attack of sorts. Like the panic in a diabetic when their sugar is too low. Or an addict, when the drug which once kept them high, has suddenly bought them to an all-time low, and they need a fix… Imagine everyone getting just a taste of God’s Goodness, and then suddenly experiencing this need for a fix… When I have not cloaked myself with his word, I can feel my light dimming. In Psalm 119:105, David speaks of the danger he feels, but he knows the word of God is a lamp to his feet. A light brightly shining, illuminating the darkness, leading him back down the lit path of peace and righteousness. And because he believes God word revives his spirit giving him peace, he promises to heed his word forever. And so too, shall I, because I would much rather encourage my weary self to meditate on His word, than get up the next morning, not feeling His peace, His presence, His joy.
Of course, His is not always shadowing us with his presence. Staying in faith, as his spirit dwells within can enable us to stay afloat. His burden is not heavy. He does not micro manage. And though my recent statement may seem to contradict the scripture in Matthew 11:30, when he states his yoke is easy, and his burden light, I know it is the drudgery of life which at times can be a burden, drawing me in to a sea of weariness. For his word is what pulls me through. His word is filled with love, and ultimately peace. How can any gifts such as these, be a burden when all that is asked, is to simply love those around you? And when we learn of his gratitude, and the loving nudges he gives us in exchange for our own, these nudges take on new meaning. They again, are not translated as burdens in my mind, but little miracles straight from heaven. His light, metamorphosing into my “Aha” moments where He guides me, teaches me, and counsels me. In Psalm 32:8, It says “I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eyes”. By again reading his word, he lovingly gives us those “Aha” moments that guide us in the right direction, if we just be still and listen. By reading his word, we are filled with his love. Love which extinguishes the darkness using his words to guide us, and give us absolute peace.
CWB