Descent into darkness
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. - ROMANS 1:21
The dark heart is like a spooky basement at the bottom of creaky stairs. The scariest place on earth to a friend as a child was his aunt’s cellar. The antique place reeked of the sinister. A bare light bulb struggled to hold off the darkness and anyone down there hoped fervently it wouldn’t go out.
There is a staircase leading down into the darkness of a rebellious heart. The first tier is ingratitude, when people live off God’s bounty in nature but don’t thank Him. The next step downward is willful ignorance through empty reasonings that ignore the brilliant light of God and His truth.
Finally is the darkest place of all—idolatry. Way down in the grim world of the unbelieving heart, we whistle in the dark by worshipping whatever we can find, hoping it will give us some light. But the darkness only deepens.
Get off the staircase plunging you into darkness. Thank God for His goodness, open your heart to His truth, bash your idols and worship the true and living God. That will turn on the light!
TODAY’S FOCUS
Look around you and consider God’s miraculous creation. Give Him thanks for all He provides you. On a day when the world celebrates darkness, meditate on the reality that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 JOHN 1:5)