Daily Meditation: "But God"
Monday, August 17, 2020
SCRIPTURE
"But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held by its power." - Acts 2:24
REFLECT
During the Christmas Season, we often remember the words from John’s first chapter about “The Darkness.” We remember that “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” Why? The answer comes from Peter’s words in Acts.
We could do a bit of scriptural mash-up here and say “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness is always trying to extinguish it. But God won’t let it.”
In Peter’s words above he was talking about how Jesus was betrayed, tortured, abandoned, publicly humiliated, and executed. On any day of the week that should be the end. Jesus endured the worst of humanity. He endured The Darkness. But God…..God had more in store. Whenever we think the story is over, whenever it seems that The Darkness has finally gotten the upper hand and there’s simply no way there’s going to be a happy ending, we have “But God….”
This is why The Darkness, though very real and something that has been with us since seemingly the very Beginning, has never been able to extinguish The Light. Because with “But God,” God always gets the last word. The Darkness tries everything it can, all the time, but God raises us up, frees us and makes it impossible for us to be held by its power IF we receive what God is doing for us. We have free will, and if we’d rather embrace The Darkness that’s our own choice. But God sends us The Light through saints, prophets, and sages throughout the ages each and every day. The Light is in our friends, our co-workers, our teachers, our leaders, and our Sisters and Brothers all over the world, and it is in us as well. Though some succumb to The Darkness, the vast majority of us have and continue to embrace The Light.
When things get frustrating and feel hopeless, remember that God has yet more in store. Things may seem bleak, but God…….
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for not ever letting The Darkness have the last word. May we always embrace your Eternal Hope for us.
Amen.
Peace,
Shawn