** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <July 09, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Light Versus Darkness
• READ: JOHN 1:1-18; EPHESIANS 5:8-9; 1 JOHN 1:5-9; REVELATION 21:23-24
When I was asked to give a devotional message to a group of high school students, I started my presentation by reading from the Bible about light and darkness. Then, I held up a large,
empty cardboard box and said, “There is nothing in this box, but there is something. What is it?” After a long silence, I repeated the question. One student said, “Air.” Another said, “God.” I affirmed that air is everywhere, and God is everywhere, but there was another answer. One student finally yelled out, “Darkness!” That was the answer I was looking for.
I said I would open the box and we would all watch where that cube of darkness would go. Would it float up to the ceiling, or sink down and bounce off the floor? Maybe it would overpower the room, engulfing us all! I slowly opened the box. What did we see? Nothing—the darkness disappeared. The light overcame it.
By definition, darkness is merely the absence of light. If someone brings a light into a dark room, the darkness doesn’t overpower the light. Rather, the whole room becomes lighter. Throughout the Bible, God is associated with light. In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, he starts by unveiling Jesus’ identity as the Word through whom all things were made. Then John says, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:4-5).
Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). God sent Him to live among us, to show us what God is like, and to let Himself be put to death in our place. But Jesus could not be overcome by death or sin or any kind of evil. After three days in a tomb, Jesus rose from the dead and returned to His followers! What they didn’t realize yet was that Jesus had made a way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to be forgiven. Jesus, who is the Light, defeated the darkness. And through Him, God has rescued us from darkness and brought us into His kingdom of light (Colossians 1:12-14). Darkness’ days are numbered because Jesus will get rid of all darkness when He returns. In the meantime, He sits with us and gives us hope in the darkness. God always wins over evil. Light always wins over darkness. • Daniel Dore
• Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the darkness in your life? How might it give you hope to know that Jesus is far more powerful than any darkness?
• Is there an area of your life where you’d like God to dispel darkness?
God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 1 John 1:5b (NLT)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <June 29, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
My Heart's Lament
• READ: PSALM 13; REVELATION 21:3-7
Lord, I’m so tired. I spend my day moving between grief and anger and apathy and frustration and fear, and I just end up exhausted. I want to scream and cry and sleep and hide from the world, all at the same time.
Why is this happening? Everywhere I turn, people are hurting. My heart breaks for them every day, and I feel like I can’t do anything about it.
My heart breaks for me too. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss my church. I miss going about my day without the weight of the pandemic crushing me. I miss the days when I could have a conversation that didn’t turn into a heated political debate within five minutes.
I miss my innocence, back before I knew the pain and injustice that happen daily. This knowledge hurts. But I guess it’s a good hurt, since it’s a hurt You feel too.
This stinks. Nothing about this is right. All of this—sickness, death, injustice, division—none of it is supposed to be here! What is it doing here, in Your good world? You created this place to be good, and it’s so, so broken. Fix it, Lord!
...I guess You will. And you’ve done it before. You’ve faithfully carried Your people through plagues, exile, famine, war, and persecution. And you’ve carried me through heartache, depression, upheaval, and many other trials.
Help me to remember that, Lord. Help me to cling to the gospel—that Jesus died for the pain, the brokenness, the hurt...and He rose to bring healing. Don’t let me forget the sure hope that You will return to set all things right. Once in a while, I catch glimpses of that healing—people recovering from sickness, small changes toward justice, and reconciling conversations. Let me see more of those. Let me make more of those. In the midst of this pain, let Your healing, reconciling presence dwell in me and flow out of me.
Or let me just rest in Your strength. I don’t have any left. • Taylor Eising
• Lament—the practice of honestly bringing your hurts before God—is a vital part of the Christian life. God knows our hurts, and, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can freely bring them to Him in prayer. Lamenting reminds us that Jesus cares about our pain, and He’s going to do something about it—either now or when He returns to make all things new. Try writing your own lament. For more examples, check out Psalm 13, 38, 42, 43, 88, or 130.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 (NLT)
