Pitch Black

Have you ever been in a cave? My two younger children and I visited one in North Carolina and there were lights strung through out the cave, at one time during the tour the guide shut the lights off. I finally understood what pitch black meant. I could not see the hand in front of my face. It was a bit scary as I was grasping for Nathanael and Jessica who one second I could see and the next they were gone. I was relieved when the lights came back on.

Exodus 10:21-23 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

The above verses come from the story of Moses and Pharaoh, one of the plagues God put on Egypt. Take time to read it. So for 3 days the Egyptians could not see the hand in front of their face. They saw nothing, notta no one. Can you imagine what that was like? Go there for just a minute in your mind so you can appreciate the severity of it. Pitch black, light less, somber. The Bible says they could feel the darkness. Can you remember a time in  your life when you could feel the darkness?

Do you realize that people today without Jesus in their lives live in that same kind of darkness. A darkness called hopelessness (without hope; despairing ) that is an emotion many live with daily.

Too often when we are around Christians more than non believers we forget about this darkness because believers will encourage each other with words like, God is in control, Jesus will never leave you, I'll pray for you.

All good responses but what if the person your talking to doesn't believe in Jesus. Then, as the Bible says, our words are foolishness.

As you know I am new to TN and in my search for companionship I found this website called Meet Up. I decided to join one and drove to a park where I met up with about 15 people to go hiking.

It was a beautiful day and I had a fun 3 hour hike. Each time we stopped you would end up walking next to a new person, and if you know me I love to talk to new people. After one stop I was talking to a man that told me he used to live in Franklin which is where I live.

He went on to tell me how much he missed it and how he wished he could live there again. I asked him why he moved and he said after he retired he didn't think he could afford his house so he sold it. He then started asking me questions like what brought me to TN and where do I work. I told him I felt the Lord brought me here and that I wasn't working yet. He of course gave me the usual look, whether you're a believer or not, the "oh you're one of those crazy people" looks. I was obviously talking foolishness to him.

I told him the Lord would help me find a job and Gems the look on his face spoke a thousand words as he sighed and said “good luck with that.” I then told him that the journey was part of the adventure to which he gave another despairing response. I could feel his darkness.

It was at that moment I was reminded what it looks like to be in the dark without Jesus, to have no hope for anything other than what you can do.

I'm used to being around people who don't know Jesus that are struggling with things like homelessness or addictions but this was a well adjusted, intelligent, self sufficient man. I'm not trying to sound stereo typical here don't get caught up in that, I have met plenty of people struggling with those issues who love the Lord. 
I'm saying I saw a man who had NO idea what I was talking about when I said God would take care of me. Someone who appeared to know light but didn't.

Here we were hiking in the beauty of God's creation and this man shared how he was involved in other hiking groups and kayaking groups so he enjoys nature but He has no relationship with the one who made it. 

The Bible tells us that the Egyptians couldn't leave their place because they could see nothing. People who don't know the hope of Jesus can't leave the place where they are stuck either because they can't see their way around.

v23 BUT the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. 

Listen Gems I don't think God continued to make Pharaoh's heart hard and hit the Egyptians with all these plagues just to get the Isrealites out of Egypt. He could have done that with out any plagues. He did it so not just Israel but all nations would know that He is God!

Exodus 9:16 “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that my name may be declared in all the earth.”

When people have no hope, living in darkness, it can be paralyzing and they usually live in misery and tend to use people instead of loving them. We have all heard the saying “hurt people hurt people.”

At the beginning of the story, Exodus 5:2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

At the end of the story Pharaoh calls to Moses and request:

Exodus 12: “And also Bless me”

Gems we have to be a people today who don't focus on all the negative and gloom. I'm not saying we should live in a denial bubble hoping it won't pop, but to remember it was the mercy of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that He brought each one of us out of our darkness and despair. We have the power and obligation to share our hope with a lost world.

Too many of us share such a small amount of that light because we are still so wrapped up in our own worlds.

The Bible said that although the Egyptians were in total darkness the Israelite's still had light where they lived. Even the places that are hard for us, we still have light. Like Pharaoh who after experiencing the power of God wanted to be blessed by Him, people should want to receive God's blessing after they meet us. God still wants to show His power through you and me.

Let's help people get out of pitch darkness and into His marvelous light!