Just read a headline: Sixth School Killing in China in under Two Months. Meat cleaver wielding man kills nine, injures eleven in kindergarten classroom.
Such shocking cruelty is hardly restrained to one corner of our world, but like a rampant epidemic, it has infected every country, every people group, and every community on the face of the planet. We here in America have also been devastated by the reports of too many senseless school shootings. Almost 16, 000 murders were committed in the U.S. last year. We here in the land of the free, have sacrificed the lives of over 50 million unborn babies since legalizing their early death in the name of convenience. 27 million people world-wide are kept as modern day slaves and a million children a year are exploited through global commercial sex trade. We read the headlines through squinted eyes, afraid to see what new depths of evil we humans are capable of.
"See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples..." Isaiah 60:2
"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13
As Christians, our hope has never been in our ability to do more good than bad, but rather our hope is in the goodness of the Lord. Our human kindnesses will never overthrow darkness in this world. Our victory has always been in ONE - Jesus - and that victory was absolutely won at Calvary. As promised, He filled us with His Spirit and we are considered aliens in this dark world. The Kingdom of God is within us and as citizens of glory, we are equipped to release the light of truth and hope into the dreadful night.
The other day, as I was thinking about some of these things, I believe the Lord showed me a picture that revealed to me, His heart for the world and His love for His bride.
I saw a painter's canvas that had been painted on over and over throughout the course of history. Most of the colors used were darker hues, but as the years went on, it seemed the colors became darker and darker until the paint was completely black. Hardly a beautiful painting, it looked like a black hopeless mess.
I believe the Lord revealed to me, that the painting was not yet complete. Like a great artist, He is not daunted by what has not yet manifested on the canvas because He "sees" the finished creation in His heart. The blackness was just the backdrop. Lined up in front of the canvas were several little jars of brilliant and beautiful paint colors. Each color represented various expressions of the Church - traditional, contemporary, Baptist and Pentecostal - each had its own glorious tint. It was actually pleasing to the eye to see all those pretty colors so neatly lined up in a row.
But that's not the purpose of paint: to stay in their jars.
I can even see Him now...I see a smile on the Lord's face as He grabs the handle of one of the paint brushes, and His bride yields to His beautiful plan! The Divine Artist, with easy skill, splashes light onto the blackened canvas. It's interesting how a dark background actully helps color look so much brighter and more beautiful. My focus is drawn NOT to the blackness, but to the dancing colors as they leave their neat jars and find joy in being released to shine. It's interesting to note that as the colors cross and mix on the canvas, brilliant new colors are created that seem to have a living quality to them. It's as though flecks of shimmering gold appear at those points where the colors come together and the whole painting moves and breathes with new life. Such glory is revealed when the Church fearlessly moves out of their comfort zones to relate with one another and spread the love of God to the world! What a privilege it is to be His Church in this day and in this hour!
At the onset of creation, darkness was on the face of the deep. While the Spirit hovered, Jesus spoke "Let there be light." And like a splash of new color - there was light.
The headlines of our newspapers reveal the sad indisputable fact - darkness covers the earth.
But as those who have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness, we put our trust not in the headlines of newspapers, but in the truth of God's Word and the assurance of His Promise.
"See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness over the peoples...
but the LORD rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn." Isaiah 60:2 & 3
OH, LET THERE BE LIGHT!
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