Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day.
Historians have recorded volumes depicting paintings, books, movies, plays, essays and every other form of recording man’s journey, that describes the dark side of the human condition. Why is that? Because we know darkness intimately. Adam and Eve did not do us any favours by allowing us to know and become intimately fettered to darkness and the resulting death through sin. Overcoming dark thoughts requires a massive amount of work because we know how bad sin can get, and how awful it is. History has proven that we cannot fix the dreadful shortcomings that reside within us. Jer. 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Being focused on darkness and evil will keep us living feverishly with unimaginative minds, resulting in repetitive acting out of sinfulness, and living within iniquity’s control.
I was reading an article that said it takes five to seven positive thoughts to overcome one negative thought that has taken root in our soul or psyche. That amount of positiveness is a lot of mental work that has to be done to have a positive outcome on a particular event in one’s life. No wonder the Word of the Lord admonishes us to think about the good things worthy of thought. Phil. 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Staying focused on God’s integral goodness will give us life and help us stay out of gloomy places.
In the book of Ruth, we read how after Naomi’s husband and two sons died, Naomi gave credence to the idea that this tragedy was a judgment from God upon herself. Her wounded spirit interpreted those calamitous events as a form of punishment. Ruth 1:13b For it grieves me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. When darkness sets in, the battle for the mind is a battle in earnest. Even after the length of time, it took to travel back to her country with Ruth, Naomi had not shaken the dark spirit of self-blame. Ruth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Naomi could only see her misery and needed a holy wind of righteous thoughts to help her navigate the grief that had become a weight of hurt that hung around her soul.
While this tragic family event was taking place in Naomi’s life, a miracle of grace was happening at the same time. Naomi could not see it, but Ruth, a Moabite woman had risen in faith by declaring that Jehovah would be her God until death. Ruth 1:16b Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you. Ruth had not only made a covenant with her mother-in-law to take care of her but also declared God to be her LORD.
Ruth’s use of the name, LORD, (Jehovah) demonstrated that God was real to Ruth at this difficult time. Grief and loss made it hard for Naomi to see the blessings right in front of her. I believe that Ruth had gleaned Godly insights into the power of the name Jehovah while married and living with her inlaws. Out of the darkness of life’s harsh events, Ruth followed the only light she knew at the time, and He was the covenant God of Israel. Naomi needed a reawakening of the illumination that Ruth had believed for herself. Prov. 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day.
We are in desperate need of a kinsman redeemer to deliver us from our prison of unsanctified existence, which can easily bring us into a dark place. Thank God for the saving blood of Jesus, which sets us free from eternal death and our ever-increasing dysfunctions. If it does take five to seven positive thoughts to overcome negative influences in our life, then let us focus on the pure positive love of God that He has for every one of us. Let us dive into the Word of God, so we can be washed in the Shekinah glory of our Lord God. We can dispel the darkness that prowls at our doorsteps because we have the Lord within our hearts, making us through Christ, the light of the world. Let us walk in that light. Matt. 5:14a You are the light of the world. Amen!
0 Comments