A Great Light Shines in the Darkness

 Greetings in the Lord~

In my travels around the world, I often would study the history of a nation as led by the Lord to see the how and why of the current spiritual condition of that country.  While that was always an interesting examination, none more perplexed me than when spiritual "darkness" came upon a land, and of the confusion, violence and judgments that came as a result.  The effects of the darkness could be seen in not just in the religious expression of a nation, but also in their political affairs and social attitudes upon the land.  For example, the country I was most intrigued with was Germany -- how did they not see through Hitler's propaganda and actions?  What exactly was that darkness that blinded them and caused the greater populace to stumble along willingly accepting his evil policies, complicit to his ways?   

In Isaiah 8-9, we read about a great darkness coming upon the land.  One of the main characteristics of this darkness is that people have rejected the statues of God and choose to follow lies, whether perpetuated by man seeking to fulfill their own desires or a seeking of a false light (corrupt leaders) in demonic doctrines and mindsets.  Another characteristic of darkness is that people stumble on the 'rock of offense' that makes them angry and lash out, specifically at those who do adhere to the ways of God.  A third characteristic of darkness is that people who do not have God's law in their heart become like lost wanderers and grow weary and hungry.  These can be in the natural or figuratively speaking, but the end result if that they will become full of rage and rebel against the system of authority the Lord has put in place on earth, they even shake their fists at God!  The funny thing is -- people who are living in darkness quite often do not know they are living in darkness! 

But today's word does not focus on Germany, but rather, it is for the United States.  We are in such a time of spiritual darkness when these characteristics can be readily seen in our culture and politics.  There is a huge divide between those who have God's law in their hearts and those that are trying to live following their own devices.  Such people are trying to make "truth" relative and morality a sliding scale with the ends justifying the means.  As a result, many things that are common sense and good behavior are being challenged or persecuted.  Church gatherings and honest businesses are being closed and greatly restricted while places of debauchery and addiction are open with free access.  It is a time of evil being called good and good called evil.  It is also a time rife with the strong hand of the Lord allowing judgments to come upon the land to discipline the people.

In the midst of all that, Isaiah chapter 9 begins to tell us that a light appears on the land and that people will begin to see this light.  God, in His mercy, sends this Light to us to show us the way.  It is the lead-in to the prophecy of Jesus Christ, who comes to break the yoke of the oppressor and to enlarge the land.  This Light will put the government on His shoulders and he will rule in justice and fairness.  But before the coming of Jesus, this was a promise in Isaiah's day that God was going to raise up a just ruler that would begin to lead Israel back to the Lord and a spiritual revival was coming back upon the people.  It was word of encouragement and promise of better days for those who love the Lord.

Meanwhile, the rest of chapter 9 talks about how the rest of Israel, the northern kingdom that was basically living like the pagan nations surrounding them, would suffer because they still refused to repent and return to the Lord.  Internal fighting would break out, and unchecked wickedness would burn like a brush fire as they willingly followed the lies of hypocritical leaders who fed them false narratives and led them down a path of destruction.  Their rage and violence would devour each other, but also lash out at Judah (God followers).  The Lord would allow their behavior to go on as a form of judgment on them.  

"What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws.  They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among My people.  They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans.  What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land?  To whom will you turn for help?  Where will your treasures be safe?  You stumble along as prisoners or lie among the dead.  But even then the Lord's anger will not be satisfied.  His fist is still poised to strike." Isaiah 10:1-4

I think people forget that it was only ten years between the parades of Lenin as he introduced Communism to Russia with promises of prosperity and peace, to the purges of Stalin and austere confines of their new "normal" where lack, fear and hopelessness was standard.  There is a reason why socialism has not worked in the nations, and why we are right in the United States to reject those values as well.  

So today, I begin to pray to God to send that light back to our nation; to take us out of the darkness that causes men to stumble and grow weary and angry and seek a false light of human design and demonic origin.  Send us godly government officials that will judge fairly and make just laws and obey them.  I pray for God's truth to be embraced again in this nation and that all corruption and evil schemes be found out, uprooted, dismantled and destroyed.  I pray that the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly for all to see, not just in this nation, but to the ends of the earth and bring spiritual revival to all those who embrace Him.

~Be blessed and be a blessing.