Tag: light

Clouds and Sunshine*

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Looking Up, 3

There are days when cloud cover hides the sun, causing me to feel chilly and a bit blue—but the sun still shines. Its presence and function do not depend on whether or not I see it. Clouds change nothing but my mood and perspective.

The answer to fading hope is not found in solved problems but in changed focus. God is on His throne, even when my understanding is clouded. In a powerful, active realm, higher than the world we see, One is ruling who knows every rock, root, and danger in our present path. He knows how long the trail is, how steep, how rocky, how narrow. He knows every turn in the road and where resting places and refreshing streams are found. God is attentive to our walk and holds our hand when we face obstacles. He is not too weak or tired to intervene. More than that, He has a purpose for that path and knows where it leads. He alone sees the end from the beginning. And He does all things well, always. …

When we move our focus from our problems to the God who loves us, hope revives. When we restrain our emotions and remove them from their lead position, we defeat despair. When we steadfastly maintain there is sun behind the clouds, our step lightens.

Hold your eyes higher than your earthbound problems and look at the One who is above it all—you will find hope.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
Isaiah 40:28

*Taken from I Was Broken, Too, Four Paths to Restore Hope, by Barbara Higby, page 24-25.

The Door Flung Open

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Darkness extinguished light, death stole life, a stone sealed the tomb.

How final, decisive, absolute!

But…

Heaven’s door was flung open.

The way to eternity was cleared.

Light broke out of the darkness and exposed

the shadows in our minds,

the dark places in our hearts,

the shame of our souls—

and hope entered.

Our debt was forgiven, our sin absolved, our condemnation wiped away.

The door was opened and, forever after, people from every walk and every nation, throughout all time and space, have heeded God’s invitation to step into the light and be made whole.

That is the Easter story.

Isaiah and Jesus, Hope

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

Good news brings light to dark places. It offers an exhale of relief. It relieves the heaviness of a burden.

Jesus was anointed to proclaim good news—to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the sorrowing.

We all deal with poverty, possibly financial but perhaps emotional poverty. We also have been brokenhearted, for a variety of reasons, including loss and betrayal. We know how it feels to be held captive, whether our captors are haunting fears, debilitating habits, daunting guilt, abusiveness, obsession, or something else. We also know what it is to mourn and grieve, be it over the death of a loved one, of a marriage, our purpose, or cherished dreams.

This is why the first three verses of Isaiah 61 fall like water over our thirsty souls.

We read that Jesus offers us hope, binding up our broken hearts, freeing us from captivity, releasing us from darkness, comforting us in our mourning, and providing for us in our grief.

He replaces our ashes with a crown of beauty, gives us joy in place of sorrow, replaces our despair with praise.

Christmas is about so much more than the nativity scene we display on our lawn or fireplace mantle. The Messiah has come! He is our rescue and our salvation. He gives us hope and changes our weak selves into strong oaks of righteousness. He firmly plants us as displays of His splendor.

Merry Christmas, my Splendorous Friends!

We All Need Light

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About eight months ago we had solar panels* installed. It’s been great—crank up the air, turn on the space heater, flip on the lights—it’s free! Until last month.

It was a gray, gray January. I searched my weather app for any hint of sunshine, but the only consistent prediction I saw was rain. We did not receive the power of the sun’s rays—we received an electric bill instead. Yes, there’s a point to this story but, first, let me digress.

I was disappointed in the book cover I chose for Finding Hope—it was not as sharp as I imagined it to be. I had polled friends and family for their choice out of six possibilities. Few chose the one I used. However, I noticed that each one hovered there first, then reason took over and moved them on to a brighter cover. I realized that what initially drew them was the light—glowing from the windows and shining in the sky. They saw light in the darkness and it attracted them. Since that is the point of my book, I opted for the lights and their promise of hope.

Dark circumstances and gray Januarys affect us beyond reason. We know there is a sun behind the clouds, but it’s depressing to not see it. We know there is a God of love behind our situations, but we despair when we can’t sense His presence. When we don’t absorb His light, we pay the consequences.

It is critical for us to position our sensors above the clouds and focus our faith on the Light we cannot see. The clouds will break, hope will come, and we will be found faithful because we believed despite the dreariness of our current view.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

*A shout-out to Henry at Trinity Solar.

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart.