Lamp & Light

Remember when you were young and played outside till dark.  The darker it got, the more your eyes adjusted so you could see better.  Then someone switched on the porch light and your eyes were drawn to that brightness.  When you looked back to the yard , you couldn't believe it was so dark. 

Last week our Bible study group covered Proverbs 6 - 10.  In these chapters it dawned on me how pleasing Satan has made sin look.  We read of how the lying woman uses her "beauty" and "pleasing words" to capture in Proverbs 6:20-23.  We are told how she decorated her sinful bed with "colored coverings" and "perfume". The devil has had ages to perfect his pitch and he is still ensnaring us today the same way as in Bible times.  

If we think of these warnings as they apply to our everyday lives, not only marriage, we see many instances where we are deceived into venturing outside of our relationship with God.  Do we not let the allure of TV and pleasing words of a good book keep us from time we could spend in Scripture?  Do we not let many "colored coverings" of the world distract us from knowing and telling others HIS truths?  God gave us a great big, wonderful creation to enjoy, but not at the expense of our relationship with HIM.  We have all sinned and fallen short.  Everyone will at one time or another venture into the darkness of sin, the important thing is NOT staying there. Don't let your eyes become adjusted to the darkness.

Sadly some souls have spent so much time in the dark that they can see pretty clearly there.

Last week I wrote a blog post about the chapters we were covering and it never made it to the page.  I tried three different times to upload the post but on the last try, I completely lost the whole thing.  I was upset about it but then Friday happened.  With one decision the Supreme Court caused division in our nation and sadly even out churches.   Maybe I was supposed to write my post from this perspective, I don't know.  I do believe that God has a purpose for everything.  I am thankful that a year ago I somehow stumbled onto a page that led me to the Good Morning Girls Bible Study.  I am thankful that I have learned a way to study the scriptures that works for me.  I am thankful that I am right now studying Proverbs with the GMG's so I had HIS words on my heart when my heart was angry about the decisions of the world.  There is hope. There is light.

For all the warnings of Proverbs, the book also gives us advice to obey HIS commands ( 7:2 ), guard HIS teachings (7:3), write them on our heart (7:3).  Wisdom is "shouting to all people" (8:4), and what wisdom says is "right" and "refuses to speak evil',(8:7). One of my personal favorites in light of recent events is Proverbs 6;20-23, it  says ...

          My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,

There are many souls playing outside in the dark.  The more time we spend in HIS word , studying HIS teaching, the brighter "porch light" we can be to others.  How wonderful would it be if we were so charged by God's Word that our "porch light" shone so brightly that the eyes of those playing in the "dark yard" of the world were drawn to the Light and were no longer able to see in the dark!  It can happen!  I sincerely urge you to spend time in HIS word everyday so you can be a bright light to a dark world.