i had a moment yesterday. dwelling on the gut-wrenching sorrowful reality of the darkness in the souls of those whom i love. O that chilling darkness; my now arch nemesis, my then closest friend.
this wasn’t a contemplation driven by a self-righteous attitude or condemning heart. it was an introspective moment recalling the torment, and remembrance of the graceful Light that showed me a new beginning.
i’ve come to find through experience that the clearest evidence of tangible evil is manifested through those lost and enslaved in darkness scoffing at those living in the light. those suffering from very real demonic torment and/or physiological/psychological effects of deliberate sin making a mockery of those dwelling harmoniously under Christ’s umbrella of very real joy and peace.
this gnarly stuff has revealed to me just how upside down and irrational the essence of evil is. it has revealed to me that spiritual warfare is happening whether we’re cognizant of it or not. happening at a soul-level far below the surface beyond what we can understand. and it has revealed to me that my gosh, is Lucifer a liar.
the Gospel reveals to me, however, that the lies of Lucifer can’t deter the conquering power of Grace with a 10-foot pole. a Loving Father will go to any length ‘that none would perish’. the Love of the Light will always outlive the hate of the dark.
i don’t think I’ll ever forget the day
when the Light set me free.
fast forward to early this morning at sunrise. i was out in the backyard worshipping with wife + son as i watched the Light rise from above orange-lit mountain tops in the backdrop. it was the last diddy I was playing- ‘Amazing Grace’. this timeless classic rocks my soul, and this morning was no different.
as i uttered the words, “…was lost but now i see”, my spirit sang a new song organically and it went something like this:
praise God i see. praise God i see.
praise God, these scales have fell.
the light has set me free today.
His Light has set me free.
i began sobbing. i mean, like face shaking, snot-dripping sobbing. grace will do that to you. it will show up like an uninvited guest who turns out to be a pleasant surprise.
i guess i say all this to say, let’s pray.
lets pray hard, with unshakable faith, that the Light of Christ penetrates every heart of stone this weekend, especially our loved ones who still reject the Gospel. let’s recall in a posture of humility, our once ‘dead in sin’ condition as children of darkness; enslaved in torment. let’s remember the Light that broke through. the Light that sets souls free.
no one.
no soul is beyond rescue.
no soul is beyond reach of the Light:
this is amazing grace.
r.w
