Strike A Match
O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness. II Samuel 22:29 (New Living Translation, NLT)
Are you walking through a dark night of the soul? Are you up against a big enemy… or maybe just dozens and dozens of little enemies at once? Have you felt like you are trudging through the valley forever, with no hope of getting through it? Has the struggle been long and the encouragers few?
Strike a match. If you can tap into the Lord of Light, you can overcome the darkness that is trying to consume you. You don’t have to illuminate your own way; the light will do it. You just have to strike a match and get it started.
What does that mean- strike a match? Jesus is the Light. We just have to tap into His light to pierce through the darkness that is trying to overwhelm us. He is the light in the darkness. Once we open the door to His light, the room is no longer dark. Darkness can’t win if there’s even a sliver of light.
How do we strike a match? What do we do to bring the powerful light of Christ into our existence? There are a number of things we can do to release His light onto the scene.
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 (New Living Translation, NLT)
Of course, you know I’m going to tell you to get in the Word of God. Our posts usually refer to God’s Word as the remedy for practically every trouble. When you are walking in a dark place and need the light of God to break through, open your Bible. It is both a light and a lamp. In the pages of the Bible, you will see example after example of hopeless situations that were turned around by God.
Praise is another way to strike the match. When you feel down, one of the most effective ways to change your mood is to turn on some upbeat Christian music and begin to praise the Lord. When we praise God, our attention turns to Him and away from our circumstances. You may have to force it at first, but soon you’ll get into it, and the praise will flow easily. Praising Him focuses our eyes on the Light of Life and away from the darkness. He is our Light, and He breaks through the most stubborn darkness when we focus on Him.
Prayer lights things up for us as well. When we talk to God and we listen to Him and get His response, we are encouraged. Remember that prayer is a two-way street. It involves both talking and listening. And the listening is usually the most rewarding part. God will give us wisdom and ways to dispel the dark situations we sometimes find ourselves in. And praying in the Spirit is very effective at setting things ablaze.
Finally, we can strike a match and send the darkness running by fellowshipping with other strong believers. When we get together and encourage one another in the Lord, the light gets brighter and the darkness is overcome. We are the light of the world, and when we get together, our flames are combined and amplified.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NKJV)
Maybe the darkness is all around you and you feel like you just can’t strike a match on your own. Just whisper His name and He’ll help you. Ask Jesus to bring you His light. He wants to pull you out of the oppression and into the light with Him. Just think on Him and call on Him for help. He’s faithful to respond to your call.
Never forget that you don’t have to stay in a dark, low, depressed place. God is right here to light your way and make your day brighter and brighter. The One who died and rose again, will never leave you in a dark, cold place.
The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18 (New Living Translation, NLT)
