Anglican Morning Devotion for 28 February 2022 Anno Domini
a ministry of the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:1-5)
“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:11-16; all scripture quoted is from the king James Version)
How can we draw a comparison between the two text above, and can we? I believe the comparison will become vividly clear by the end of this devotion if I can only draw the beauty of them out for the reader.
Just as there is a comparison between spiritual death and physical death, there are also great differences. The same is true of spiritual darkness and physical darkness. The darkness to which the Scriptures most often refer is SPIRITUAL darkness. As is the case with physical darkness, spiritual darkness deprives its victim of Godly wisdom to know the way he should go. As David has said, “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.” (Psalm 82:5) Solomon says: “Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12To deliver thee from the way of the evil man from the man that speaketh froward things; 13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness.” (Proverbs 2:11-13)
There is only one path that is well-lighted by the Word of God and the beams of wisdom – the Narrow Way that leads up to Heaven. If I purchase a perfectly good flashlight in good repair that is equipped with a new bulb, what am I to think if the light does not come on when the switch is moved to ‘ON?’ You are right – there are no batteries in the flashlight. The battery for the soul of the Christian is the Holy Spirit to guide us in the right path by bringing to our remembrance all things about Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the invigorating Spirit of Love that animates the Christian soul. The Word (Truth) must be joined to the Spirit (Love) to make a whole for the soul.
Did you notice from the text from Genesis 1:1-5 that God began His Creation in darkness – “the evening and the morning were the first day?” It is for this reason that the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown Friday until sundown on Saturday. Without God, all things stand in darkness. He begins His work of Creation in darkness and completes it in wonderful light of day.
Did you notice in the second text from Psalms 139:11-16 that God created YOU in the darkness of your mother’s womb? You had nothing to do with your being created – it was altogether the work of God in the darkness of the womb just as a seed germinates in the darkness of the soil to burst forth into the brilliant light of the sun!
We are born with living bodies because God created those bodies before our birth. The same is true of our living souls. We were all dead in trespasses and sin, though our body enjoyed a temporary life. But the Spirit of God quickened us and made us alive in the Spirit to understand and know Him personally as our Lord and Savior. (see Ephesians 2).
Though we once walked and sat in darkness, great light has shined upon us! (see Isaiah 9:2 & Matthew 4:16). Having our batteries charged with the invigorating and life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, we walk a different way that that Broad Way of the world that leads down to destruction. We have a light available to us that they have rejected.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
(Psalm 119:105)
Do you have your LIGHT for the journey in the wilderness of life?
