Push It Back!

Pushing Back the Dark

Do you ever feel like a single candle in the dark, and wonder what possibly you could do to make a difference?  Does somebody need the light you have?  In pushing back the dark...a song by Josh Wilson, it talked about letting your light so shine.  Don't under estimate the God you follow.   Whatever you do, don't lose heart.  This morning I was going to talk about hiding God's word in your heart.  Then, this afternoon I had an errand to run.  I got into my car turned on the radio and the song came on, "Pushing back the Dark."   A million reasons why we shouldn't try.  Let your light so shine.  Don't under estimate the God you follow!  Somebody needs the light you have!  That is the truth, they do!  Don't lose heart, keep on pushing back the dark with God's word, it's a sword, it's your salvation in a wicked world.  Yes, his song made me think about hiding God's word in your heart.  Because how else do we have the strength to push it back, pushing back the dark?  It's the word of God hidden in our heart, the answer to the song, we don't push it back alone.  And no, we aren't a single candle; but a body in Christ who should possess a flame! And, yes we do under estimate the God we follow.

Every day....feeling this "feeling" of insignificance, where is the bold, how can I make a difference?  How can I push back the dark?  Then later in the afternoon, it was evaluation time, once a year...the same routine, you know, the expectations.  It is NEVER enough, not in this world, EVER!  "You need to work on communication." Oh, yes it starts out with rave review, only to end with "this is what we need to work on."  I am just thinking in my mind, what a humiliating, degrading process to go through as a human being.  There has to be a better way than an objective review.  Especially, when you know in your heart that you have worked as hard and diligent as you could in the past year.   It makes you wonder where the other person has been, surely they could see that?   They say it is for growth?  You know growth hurts, even if you think you are fully grown.  I think anything that tares another person down cannot be good.  I don't care if it is candy coated around the edges. 

What happen to Phillippians 4:8, I am asking myself?  The true, the noble, the just, the lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, think on these things.   Not everyone we work with is a believer, so perhaps God was speaking to those who believe.  Perhaps He was speaking to ME! How do we push back the dark?  Well, by hiding God's word in our heart.  It is literally a weapon of sorts when the dark tries to overcome us.   

Like for instance - Phillippians 4:5-7 "Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand!  I am sure He isn't talking to me??  Or Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made know to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Phillilppians 4: 13 - " I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me."  Do I believe this?  I need to scream it from the mountain top!  I CAN, I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHEN ME!  

If you had a day like mine we can scream it together on the roof!  Well, maybe not, because I live in a retirement community and they would probably put my light out pretty quickly!  I am just trying to say that God's word has a way of coating the soul with healing grace.  Yes, healing grace!  I am so, so far from perfect; but my perfection is in and through Him!  

There is no other way to put it, except, yes there are a million reasons why we shouldn't try; but there is one great reason why we should. Because we have someone behind the scenes that LOVES US!  He loves us with His whole being!  The King of King and Lord of Lords.  Philippians 3:8 - I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord!  Start hiding it in your heart...verse, after verse, after verse!  And He will keep that Candle burning until it turns into a flame for Him.

Then the dark will have second thoughts about lurking around, because the dark doesn't like to be exposed!

Matthew 5:16 "And Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."