https://odb.org/MY/2021/11/30/for-others-sake
I can’t imagine how it is like to be deep in a cave in near and complete darkness with rising waters and not knowing whether anyone will actually come and rescue us. Darkness is disorientating and although our eyes can adjust to darkness, it is impossible to see anything in complete darkness. This is because the source of sight is always light. The source of colours is light. What we see with our eyes as reflected by our retina and translated into electrical waves into our brain are reflections of light. How much we can see is always a question of how sensitive are our retinas to light and animals who are nocturnal naturally have much more sensitive retinas. Certain species of fish also have very sensitive eyes but those that live in very deep waters create their own light. So being in near and mostly total darkness for this bunch of kids in Thailand not knowing what fate awaits them must have been a very harrowing and distressing experience that no one will wish on another.
We know that Jesus is the light and through Him we will be the light of the world. But imagine ourselves before we knew Jesus. We were in total darkness when it comes to matters of the Kingdom. Maybe we knew something on the surface and thus were not in total darkness. Maybe most of us were in near darkness with any genuine light being a considerable distance away, very dim and flickering. The truth was hidden from us before the Holy Spirit convicted and lifted the scales off our eyes. We lived in spiritual blindness, in darkness to the way, the truth and life. If God didn’t send Jesus to rescue us and deliver us out of the miry clay, we would have drowned in the darkness, descending into the abyss, into nothingness. The bright sunshine of heaven where everything is illuminated by the glory of God and where nothing is hidden was very, very far away from us indeed.
Now that we can see the light and we live in the light where heaven is within realistic reach and where sometimes we get a glimpse of heaven or a touch of God or a taste of His glory, where the Psalmist mentions that even touching the hem of His robe fills us with such peace and joy and power – do we want to go back to our old life of darkness? Do we want to go back to the cave again where we are not confident and do not know for sure that anyone will come and rescue us? The waters are rising and we find it difficult even to breathe and the more we worry, the worse it becomes. Do we want to live a life of constant worry and despair and not knowing whether our final destination will be a perfect one?
My dear brothers and sisters, live in the light and move forward, forgetting what is behind as Paul taught. Strive forward look heavenward, we are already in the light and let the light guide us through. Don’t descend back into darkness, where the ultimate end is the fire and the gnashing of teeth!
Ronnie's Thoughts 