“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?”
Psalm 27:1
In midsummer heat, my neighbor sheared an azalea hedge. Suddenly the shrubs appeared eaten up, only to leave a distraction - an unsightly crown of brown twigs with no fair beauty to behold. What began as a good plan went awry causing mild sorrow. Faced with what appeared to be deadness, she assumed it was a time to let go, stating that the plants would be removed. I attempted to persuade her that this was a time to hold on by explaining that exposure to light would transform the brown into branches of green strength. I encouraged her to tarry and wait patiently until October before making a final decision. After a season of light, the bushes entered autumn with much evidence of new life. They had been sustained. Like the Psalmist, we could “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Psalm 27:1
In midsummer heat, my neighbor sheared an azalea hedge. Suddenly the shrubs appeared eaten up, only to leave a distraction - an unsightly crown of brown twigs with no fair beauty to behold. What began as a good plan went awry causing mild sorrow. Faced with what appeared to be deadness, she assumed it was a time to let go, stating that the plants would be removed. I attempted to persuade her that this was a time to hold on by explaining that exposure to light would transform the brown into branches of green strength. I encouraged her to tarry and wait patiently until October before making a final decision. After a season of light, the bushes entered autumn with much evidence of new life. They had been sustained. Like the Psalmist, we could “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Holding on to a garden, and the beauty it adds to the community, is of worth. So are plans for future growth in a family. Abraham, in Genesis 15, struggles with being childless and a vision for offspring. Possibly he is pondering his desires – to hold on or let go. Abraham is surrounded, literally and mentally, by darkness, terror, and fear. Into that despair, God interjects light through His object lesson of having Abraham look to the countless stars in order to number his descendents. A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch also light up the human need to hold on. Abraham believes, which is reckoned to him as righteousness.
Followers of God strive for more righteousness. What current distraction do you need to hold on to, believing light from God to improve the burden?
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