Daily Wisdom 06-27-2002 When The Night Never Stops

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When The Night Never Stops

The lady in the airplane seat next to me was from Norway. And I knew she had experienced something I needed to knowaboutwinter months with VERY long nights and summer months with VERY long days. With our Native American team planningmajor summer outreach among Native young people in Alaska, I was especially interested in what our days would be like up there. Myneighbor from Norway made the answer very clearthey would be endless! She said that even after all the years living there, she nevercan sleep much in those northern days where there is virtually no dark. I thought, O-o-o, it should be a lot of fun getting our team tosleep at night, when there is no night. But then I was curious to know about those December days when we have only about nine hoursor so of daylight. She told me about a time when it was, in her words, almost always dark, where she lives. Its hard for me to imagineweeks where you basically never see the light of the sun. Its not hard for me to imagine the way my Norwegian neighbor said manypeople feel during that timereally depressed.

A long, depressing darkness. You dont have to live in the North Country to know what darkness like that feels likein yourheart, that is. It may have been winter inside your soul for a long timemaybe concealed from others by a smiling mask or a very busylife. But its still dark inside most of the time.

It might be the guilt of mistakes that youve made that has brought on the long winter. Or a nagging sense of worthlessness. Or achronic despair over the pain of the past or the meaninglessness of the present. Or it could be the darkness might be summed up in oneincreasingly, desperate wordloneliness. But whatever the cause, this heaviness inside, this relentless darkness has been there longenough.

The end of a long, long night can begin with a hope-filled promise made by Jesus Christwho has never made a promise He didnot keep. Its our word for today from the Word of God, John 8:12, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Mewill never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Jesus promises that if you belong to Him, if youll stay close to Him, Hewill lead you out of the darkness that no one else has been able to dispelthe beginning of the end of your long, dark winter.

But ONLY Jesus can replace your darkness with what He called the light of life. Why? Because our problem isnt really thedarkness. Near the North Pole in winter, the problem is that the sun doesnt shine there. Our problem isnt ultimately the darkness ofour loneliness or despairits the absence of the Light! We were created to live in a love-relationship with our Creator, which we havelost by running our lives our way instead of His way. In Gods own words, Your sins have separated you from your God. ( Isaiah59:2)

That separation could only be healed by the death penalty for your sin being erased. And thats what was going on when Jesuswas bleeding and dying on that crossHe was paying for your sin, which is the ultimate cause of the darkness in your soul. And theforgiveness, the peace, the LIGHT He died to give you becomes yours when you tell Him youre trusting Him to be your Savior fromyour sin.

If you do that, Jesus will shed His light on every dark stretch you ever walk, including the darkest stretch of all, when one dayyou walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Why dont you open your heart to Jesus Christ today, right where you are? Itsbeen dark long enough.

Find out more about how a relationship with God can be Yours for Life! If you're not sure you belong to Jesus Christ, and you'dlike to make sure, check out YOURS FOR LIFE!

Then this wonderful promise of God will be all about you God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness andbrought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. (Colossians 1:13)

Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular radio broadcast,"A Word With You"."A WORD WITH YOU" daily devotionals are now available via e-mail. To subscribe send a blank email to:awordwithyou-subscribe@hutchcraft.com,or to request the "Yours for Life" booklet, fill out the form on this site:http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/yours/yflorder.html. Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with Gospelcom since February, 1996, providingpractical answers to real life issues. (c) 2000 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.PO Box 400, Harrison AR 72602