Darkness.

"The darker the night, the brighter the light."

-Anonymous

"It's not necessary to blow out your neighbor's light to let your own shine."

-M. R. DeHaan

"We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their own shining--they just shine."

-D. L. Moody

"I was looking out the window of my house one day and saw a simpleminded young man who lacked common sense. He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman. He was strolling down the path by her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in."

-Proverbs 7:6-9

This whole chapter is a second warning to "my son" to avoid immorality. What caught my attention in chapter 7, this time, was the phrase, " . . . as the dark of night set in."

Darkness usually provides the breeding grounds for problems, crime, immorality, and other activities associated with sin. Jesus was speaking to a Pharisee, Nicodemus, when he said, "There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see they are doing what God wants" (John 3:18-21).

As a child I would often go with Dad, Mom, and my brothers to York, Pennsylvania certain Saturdays to do shopping. We would always eat lunch in a bar and I was always suprised by how dark bars were. Once inside, it would take some time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness and smoke and I couldn't quite understand why someone just didn't turn on some lights. It seemed like everyone was having a good time, laughing, talking, and drinking but all of it was done in nearly total darkness.

When I think about it, however, darkness is usually associated with sin, evil, and wrong. That's probably why there are few, if any, well-lit bars or nightclubs. That is no doubt the reason dating couples with more on their minds than hand-holding find places that are cozy and dark. Thieves do most of their work (Would that be called work?) in the dark. Satan himself has been called the Prince of Darkness. We're reminded in Ephesians 6:12, "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms."

The young guy in this chapter of Proverbs is about to begin a travel through darkness that leads to death, "Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death" (v.27). To him, this is the chance of a lifetime but he sees things in the darkness. In the light, he'll find he's on a non-stop ride to the grave!

God's warnings to him were easy to understand and easy to apply, "Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey them and live! Guard my teachings as your most precious possessions" (Proverbs 7:1-2). It doesn't get any clearer than that . . . unless darkness settles in and the vision is clouded and blurred.

Like everything else in the Bible, this is a choice thing. God is warning, "Hear my commandments! Listen to my Word! Let me be your guide!"

"Why?"

"Because when my light comes on in your life, the darkness disappears."

In June of 1972, Margaret and I sat in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas with 85,000 other Christians. We were there with about twelve students from First Baptist Church in Fairfield, Ohio. Bill Bright had just spoken for the last meeting of Explo '72 and we were asked to stand for the closing. Suddenly, the stadium was in total darkness. A candle had been provided for each person before the service and as the musicians began a chorus, "It only takes a spark to get a candle glowing . . ." one candle flickered in center field. Soon the one became two, and the two became four, and eight, and sixteen and . . . 85,000 lighted candles illuminated what had just been total darkness.

Get the picture? Light destroys darkness! Stay out of the darkness. Put out the darkness! Carry the light! Be the light!

"You are the light of the world--like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Shine!