Daily Encouragement

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Wednesday, April 27, 2005

"His Wonderful Light"

"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:21).

Today's encouragement is sort of a follow-up to yesterday's message on "loving darkness".* As I wrote yesterday's message it prompted a memory of over 30 years ago.

I went to a small Bible College in the Midwest for my ministry training. My freshman year I stayed in an old brick dormitory that was held together by long steel rods that ran all the way through the building. (I drove through the campus last summer and that dorm is still there!) Among early lessons after my arrival was quickly learning to shout "SHOWER" whenever you flushed the toilet in the hallway bathrooms to warn anyone taking a shower to move out of the stream lest they get blasted by scalding hot water!

Those were great days in my life and that's where I met Brooksyne (at the college, not the shower; the dorms were definitely not co-ed). The focus of my education was on Christ and the Bible. I had many godly teachers who taught and modeled earnest Christian living. I still stay in touch with several of them and at least one of them is on this list.

Those reading this material over time realize I have a tendency to learn lessons in the regular stuff of life and I recall a spiritual lesson that goes way back to that old brick dormitory. Now I want to warn you that some may find this particular illustration distasteful.

If you were to get up in the night to use the bathroom up the hallway - as soon as you turned on the bathroom light you'd see a bunch of roaches scurrying to cover. Brooksyne recalls that the girl's dorm also had this interesting educational feature.

At that time I was studying the Gospel of John and made an association between this Scripture and my scurrying roach observation. "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:21). Now roaches are not evil (although I sure wouldn't care to have one as a pet). They are just a creature doing what they were created to do, however distasteful we may find it. They live in the darkness.

That's not God's design for God's special creation. We were created to live in His light. A foundational aspect of the redemptive work of Christ is marvelously described in 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

Next time you see a roach - remember God called you to live in His wonderful light!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen C. Weber

Brooksyne's Note: Indeed I recall the roaches in the dormitory bathrooms. That was not one of the more pleasant memories of my college years. It also brings back a childhood memory.

I was raised in a big family out in the country west of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Anytime we traveled we stayed overnight with relatives. Except for once. The biggest trip of my childhood was when Mom and Dad piled all five kids into our little Ford Falcon and we headed to Dallas, Texas for the "Six Flags Over Texas" theme park. After visiting the park all day we stayed overnight in a motel for the only time in my childhood. It was one exciting time for us.

Up to this time we'd only swam in a muddy farm pond or creeks. But after we rented a single room at the bargain motel we all swam in a real swimming pool for the first and only time in my childhood. After swimming for many hours we finally settled into our room for the night.

After we fell into a sound sleep a shrill scream awakened the whole family. Bracing for the worst we all suddenly jumped out of bed to find out what horrible thing was taking place. Mom declared that we were all to get dressed immediately and packed the suitcases in only a few minutes. We all had to spend the rest of the night sleeping snuggled next to each other in the cramped car.

What was the big problem? Mom turned on the bathroom light and there appeared those appalling roaches out of nowhere. She had a conniption fit declaring that she wasn't about to take one of them back with us so they could breed in our home. We may have been poor but we didn't have roaches!

Today's encouragement is sent out much earlier than usual. Brooksyne and I have an opportunity to share our ministry to a group of seminary students in northern New Jersey. If you will please pray for us as I have a sense we may be walking into a theological minefield. We want to speak the truth in love.

Here is a worship song that relates to today's message. It appears to be the worship team in a local church that place music they record up on the web to share with others.

* Here's yesterday's message on "Loving Darkness"

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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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