Daily Devotion - October 24, 2018

Job 24:10-17

They go about naked, without clothing;    though hungry, they carry the sheaves; between their terraces they press out oil;    they tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst. From the city the dying groan,    and the throat of the wounded cries for help;    yet God pays no attention to their prayer.

‘There are those who rebel against the light,    who are not acquainted with its ways,    and do not stay in its paths. The murderer rises at dusk    to kill the poor and needy,    and in the night is like a thief. The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight,    saying, “No eye will see me”;    and he disguises his face. In the dark they dig through houses;    by day they shut themselves up;    they do not know the light. For deep darkness is morning to all of them;    for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.

Reflection by Duke Yaguchi

Paraphrasing Forrest Gump, darkness is as darkness does. Throughout the Bible, goodness is equated with light and evil with darkness. I believe children have a natural fear of the dark because it makes everything unknown. You don't know what you can't see. Even in Biblical times it must have been true. They didn't have the luxury of electricity, so their lives must have been filled with much more time spent in darkness. No wonder when we see stars at night it gives us hope. Hope of the light.

In acknowledgement to Darlene Wagner's beautiful poetry, let me take a "stab in the dark".

Prayer Poem

When the approaching darkness crawls across the yard

And up the window shade

Let me seek the light

Of God

May God's light shine

So bright

That even when darkness is upon me

On the outside

God's love will shine

On the inside

To warm my heart

And my soul.