Fiat Lux

“You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”                -Psalm 18:28, NIV

We find such strength when we realize our utter dependence on God.  This verse comes sandwiched between the affirmations that God lifts up the humble but brings down the proud (v.27) and that God gives great strength to those in fellowship with Him (v.29).  He is a Helper to the weak and the Deliverer of the lowly.

Light is associated with God from the very beginning of the Scriptures, when He spoke light into darkness (to which my title alludes).  Jesus came as light into the darkness of our fallen world.  And when darkness, whether ignorance or danger or gloom, surrounds us, God is the luminous and merciful One who turns our darkness to light.

There is no danger when He is near, however the shadows loom.  And when our minds are darkened and foolish, He is able to illuminate us so that we grasp the truth and walk on the path that leads to life everlasting.  Turn your eyes to the light of God.

Resolution!

Well, a new year is upon us!  Dare I resolve to become a more consistent blogger?

…But why torment my kind-hearted readers with that?

New Year’s resolutions are the very definition of promises meant to be broken.  But they do have the positive side that they ask us to reflect on what we wish we were better at, more consistent at; what kind of person we would wish to be.  This means we admit our imperfections; to put it in theological terms, we do well to be humble and admit all the ways we fall short of perfect conformity to the image of Christ.

Which does suggest a truly constructive resolution; not, perhaps a New Year’s resolution, since those are things we give up with very little fight.  But a resolution that lies at the center of the lived Christian life: to grow in Christlikeness each and every day; to take our eyes off ourselves, and turn them onto Christ.

Happy New Year.