This Little Light

 "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”  – Matthew 24:27

 
 

What is the speed of dark?  This was a science question on one of my final exams many years ago.  You cans search all through the internet and find many different hypothesis and theories, but no proven fact that darkness has speed.  We all know that light has the speed of 186,000 miles per second, therefore the speed of dark must be the inverse of the speed of light or 1/186,000 miles per second.  When you see light you are seeing the absence of darkness, for darkness is all around you until a light source is introduced in one manner or another.  The stars, the moon and even the street lamps give off light during the night hours, so we are never fully engrossed in complete darkness. 

Even when you have entered an inner room in your home (with no windows) close the door and turn the lights off.  You will notice that you still see some traces of light.  Around the door frame, and even emitting from your shirt (if it’s white) or the sink or mirror perhaps.  Light is reflected from many things and therefore absorbed as a part of the process.  This allows light to continue to be emitted from these things even in the absence of a light source.  The longer these items are away from the light source the dimmer they will become though.  Light and darkness are direct opposites of each other.  They cannot co-exist.  Darkness is incapable of overcoming light.  When the two are brought together light will displace darkness, not the other way around.  All the way down to the very smallest of particles, light is either reflected or not depending completely on the strength of the light source and the molecular structure of the object. 

If you, like me, feel that there is more unrighteousness and evil in the world today, it is not because darkness became stronger.  No, it is because the light has become weaker.  The scriptures tell us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world.  In John 8:12, He claims to be “the light in the world…”  Jesus came that we all might have light in our darkness and be saved from the darkness.  For darkness is of this world, and light comes from righteousness which is not of this world.  In order to press back the darkness we need to enhance the visibility and strength of God’s message to the world.  There will come a day when we no longer need lamps, candles or lights for we will be in the ever present company of God himself.  As it was predicted in 2 Samuel 22:29 and fulfilled in Revelation 21:21 tells us that Jesus Christ will be our lamp in that day.  Do not hide His light under a bushel or keep it to yourself.  It is intended to grow stronger by sharing it with others. 

You all remember the children’s song, “This little light of mine,  I’m gonna let it shine.  This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”  Choose this day to share the light with those you meet.

The Final Eclipse

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”   John 3:19

My thoughts:

Just listen to or read the news headlines on any given day.  The world is full of evil and darkness.  The heart of the child is being corrupted by the sounds of the keyboard and mouse.  I fear that the social skills of this generation are built upon the weak foundation of the world wide web, google and twitter.  The simple fact that 88 percent of teenagers (13-17) have or have access to a cellphone, and 91% of teenagers have access to the internet and spend an awful lot of productive time using both.  This has become the new way of communication and it is breaking down the basics of humanity at it’s core.

Granted, not all teenagers are lumped into this single bucket, but consider that many of them spend more time on their phones, tablets and laptops than actually speaking with another person in a friendly, social environment.  Sure, they speak in class, at the dinner table and when involved in extra-curricular activities; but I have found that much of their “free-time” is now spent in Snapchat, Instragram, Facebook, Twitter and other electronic means of communication.

Why is this so important, or why should you care?
Hypothesize with me if you will.  If God is all about love and sharing His love with our neighbors, families and friends; then if the evil one of this world can remove that interaction from our lives, it gives him a much easier path to instill self-centeredness, greed, entitlement and anger into these lives.  There was a time when violence wasn’t the path to resolving conflict.  Looking at the youth of today though, that seems to be their method of coping with issues that arise in their life.  Be it the protestors (either side), the shooters, the cop-killers or the cyber-bully – they all fall into a similar stereotype.  Look at these individuals and you will find someone who is: self-centered, focused only on their happiness, angry with those that disagree, unremorseful to inflict pain on someone who opposes them and looking to blame everyone else in the world except for themselves.  This persona is the exact antithesis of what God has called us to be.

It is a darkness in the world that has etched it’s way into our lives slowly, but methodically so we wouldn’t notice it immediately.  But, suddenly, though we know where the light switch is, we have found ourselves very comfortable sitting in the darkness and looking at the sliver of light in the corner.  We know that evil is all around us, but fear and to some degree comfort, have settled in such that we aren’t inclined to actually do anything to bring light back into the situation.  That’s the state of our world.  Too many self-proclaimed Christians are sitting in the dusk between the ever increasing shadow and the diminishing light in this world.  Unless we decide to stand up, I truly fear that darkness will overtake mankind and the desire for light will be gone completely.

I suggest you take this to heart and look into the darkness that covers most of our college campus’ today.  I’ve watched interview after interview of our college students boldly staring into the camera and claiming there is no God and that this world is designed strictly for survival of the fittest.  This generation of young people are walking away from the light without any knowledge or concern that they are stepping straight into the shadows of evil. 

We know it’s happening, yet we are willing to sit idly by and watch, then we too have accepted the fact that it’s acceptable for darkness to take our children away from us.  You and I are called to grab their hand and help them find the light once again.  Don’t turn from this problem, it will only get worse.  The scriptures have made it clear that this world will get darker before the coming of our Lord.  Look around yourself and you can see it is happening.  Choose to help those who are blind find their way back.


Be Blessed,

Rich

Join us on Facebook @ 10 Minute Reader Daily Thoughts or on Twitter @Sondove
If you would like to be added to the email distribution, please send an email here.

Light the Way

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.  The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” – Proverbs 4:18-19

  When the door closed, the darkness enveloped the room.  There was not a single point of light in the blackness that surrounded him.  Despite his efforts to adjust his eyes to his surroundings, as was often the case when there was a slight glimmer of light, it was impossible this time.  In his mind he drew a mental picture of the room and the obstacles from the memory captured by his eyes before the door closed and the lights were turned off.  He recalled that there was broken shards of glass on the floor to his right, and tacks scattered about on the floor to his left.  He knew there was a path of carpeted floor in front of him, but it abruptly would come to an end in about 5 feet and fall into a crevice with no exit.  Near the door about 10 feet away and to the left was a key hanging from a hook at least 10 feet up the wall, and there was a small step stool near the wall to his right.

  How trusting should he be of the mental picture he had painted in his mind?  Could he trust his judgment without actually seeing those things in front of him that were dangerous?  Should he just stay where he is at and lose this round of the competition?  What would you do in this situation?

  The reality is that we are all facing obstacles and challenges in life that are beyond our perception and control.  You cannot control the car coming around the corner begin driven by the man who has had too many drinks.  You cannot always foresee the acts of others who may choose to bring harm to you and your loved ones.  We cannot predict the diagnosis of  cancer or the death of a loved one, yet it happens all too often.  If we could anticipate the rise and fall of the financial markets we could all be quite secure in our investments and remove the fear of financial burdens from life.

  In your mind, you know the future might be painful, difficult and filled with uncertainty.  But, just like our victim above, there is also an understanding of where the key is to unlock the door and bring light into the situations you face.  The step stool is Jesus Christ, and the key is the plan of salvation.  Through our embrace and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we can receive salvation and open the door to our future with Him.  As we accept Him, His light shines upon our footsteps and we are given the confidence, strength and courage to take on the challenges in this life, and see clearly through the obstacles.  It does not mean the obstacles are gone, but that that we are able to overcome them through His strength and light, not by our means.

  Be filled with His love, spirit and light today and always.  Let His light shine that others might see it within you and you might be given the opportunity to share His love with them.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
If you would like to be added to the email distribution please click here: Daily Thoughts

Finding the Light

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“. . .and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.” – Revelation 2:3

  We stood and watched as the black clouds rolled over the horizon.  It seemed as if almost immediately the 9AM bright blue sky became as midnight.  Street lights began illuminating and the highway was filled with headlights and taillights.  Ominous could have been a word describing the rolling clouds, as the very thought that this could be big stretched across the brain matter of each person standing there with me.  Yet through the pitch there was a silver ray, a beam upon the distant horizon.  It was faint at first but then began widening and bringing with it hope and a comforting acceptance that the end was not upon us, but just a passing expression of the darkness of the world.  Within the span of 1 revolution of the large hand upon the clock, we were in the much taken for granted beautiful blue skies of Southeastern Texas once again and the storm had passed.

  Much like life, storms will come and go upon your daily walk with the Lord.  There will be times when you are fearful, tired, and distraught with uncertainty and the uncomfortableness of the darkness that has settled around you.  When we look upon these spectacles as if we are without hope it can often be overwhelming.  It’s easy to become lost in the worries and fears of this world and forget that we are the children of the most powerful King and Creator of all things. 

  The problem is we have a hard time finding the horizon or we grow weary as we wait for the sliver of light to appear.  Often times we expect that our hardships, our struggles and our worries will be swept away instantly at our request, without considering the sovereignty, authority and power of the Lord.  The strong will look at the horizon continuously seeking the Light, knowing that the evil of this world is only temporary.  We seek Him that brings peace, comfort, confidence and protection.  The Light is always there, though often hidden by the pitch and filth of the world.  His promise was that He will be with us always, even to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:20).  You must ask yourself if you trust His word and believe that He can be trusted.  Do not grow weary in your quest, for He has given all for your salvation.  He will see you through the storms and valleys of this life and bring you to the calm and peace of His loving embrace.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
If you would like to be added to the email distribution please click here: Daily Thoughts

In a Nanosecond

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5

Tell me how long is a nanosecond?  Do you even know what a nanosecond is?

From our youth we learned that the speed of light is 186,282 miles per second.  That is an enormous, nearly unmanageable data point when considering a photon of light actually traveling in a guided path around the world 7 times in one second.  We cannot fathom the distance that light travels in miles, because we don’t see light for miles away, we see it for much shorter distances.   A typical room might be 12 feet wide, the headlights of a car coming at us can be seen from ½ mile away (2640 feet).  At the speed of light a single photon will travel approximately one foot (30 cm) in one nanosecond, or one billionth of a second. So when you enter a dark room, you turn on the light switch and the room is immediately filled with light, this time is measured in nanoseconds.  I imagine that the time it takes for the light photons to fill a room is not something you have considered before, because it seems instantaneous, but it’s not.  It is just so incredibly fast that your eyes cannot comprehend the difference in a manner fast enough for your brain to realize that time has passed.

As I shared yesterday, darkness exists in the absence of light.  The world is in absolute darkness, except for the light of the sun, the stars, the moon reflecting the sun’s light and the manmade electronic version of light. As you think of the light within you though, it is the same philosophy.  We are born into sin, unrighteousness and darkness, by the nature of mankind’s rebellion against God.  This stems all the way to Adam and Eve, and their rebellion in the Garden of Eden.  Inherently then, we carry this same proclivity to rebel and sin.  So, with a hardened heart and darkness that consumes our being, we are unable to be in the presence of God’s holiness and perfection.  Heaven is not attainable in our human state of sin.  This is why God took it upon Himself to make a way.  That way being Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God and the Light of the World.  He came that we might find salvation and redemption for our sinful actions, and enter into heaven washed clean of our transgressions and sin.  We must first embrace the light of salvation and accept that we are incapable of achieving this perfection and sinlessness on our own.  We must be filled with the light of the Son of Man to overcome the darkness of the word, and only then are we able to share that light with others. 

Just as when your neighbor turns on his porch light the light waves flow within nanoseconds to your pupils, others will see the light of Christ coming from you after you have embraced it.  There is nothing you need to do to perfect this light, for it is already perfect.  You must simply let His love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, peace, servant heart and grace flow through you.  Others will then be attracted to the light as well, giving you the perfect opportunity to encourage them with goodness and love as the light comes from you. 
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

Who Turned Out the Light

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

 “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7

As the door opens, your hand moves to the familiar place on the wall to flip the switch “on”, your eyes take in the sheer and utter darkness.  Deep blackness consumes your arm as your pupils expand to seek out a glimmer of light in the small area.  Flipping the switch does nothing and the light from the hallway illuminates only a small path into the room.  You step into the darkness, your hands are stretched out in front of you as you try to recall the obstacles that might be in your way, as you gingerly take another step.  In the small swath of light from the hallway your pupils begin to take in shapes and forms in the darkness as your quest for the object continues.  Your foot kicks something and moving it to another spot it lands on something pointed causing you to more your foot once again and gently place it on the floor next to a box, barely visible.  Slowly you make your way into the room, small step by small step, trying to remember your pathway so you can exit along the same path.  Finding the object finally, you turn to face the open door and the light from the hallway.  Your eyes adjust to the fading light, but there is a sense of relief as the path to the door is visible when looking back toward the light.  You take a few steps over and around a few obstacles and you are back at the door, with prize in hand.  You make a mental note to change the lightbulb in the store-room before someone gets hurt.

You’ve all been there at one point in your life.  Having to walk in the darkness because a light bulb was burned out or for one reason or another you could not turn the light on at that moment.  Perhaps in the middle of the night, you couldn’t turn on the light because it might awaken others.  I’ve personally been there many times as I get up a few hours before anyone else in the house and often find myself walking through the hallways and rooms with my hands extended, feeling my way rather than seeing my way.  Countless times my feet have landed upon a small toy or kicked the leg of a chair or tripped over something in the dark of the night.  It’s amazing how the smallest amount of light can change an environment from a danger zone into a simple walk through the house.

Life is no different.  We wake each morning and venture into a day that is going to be filled with darkness, evil and unrighteousness.  As much as we feel confident in knowing what is coming our way, there is no way to fully understand everything that lies in your path today.  Circumstances way beyond your control will come into play and present obstacles for your walk that seem impossible to overcome, as you see them.  Introducing the light of the world into your day though will create a clarity, strength and confidence to take on these problems that appear.  You walk through the day with courage and wisdom that is far beyond your own capabilities when you have started the day with Jesus by your side.  There is a saying from Albert Einstein that goes something like this, “There is no such thing as darkness, there is only the absence of light”

Think about that for a moment.  What would this world be like without the sun, the moon, the stars or electricity?  If you have a moment to go into an inner room in your home without windows or any external access, go in shut the door and turn the light off, and make sure the light outside of the room is off as well (so it isn’t visible under the door).  Close your eyes, count to 100 and now walk across this room.  You’ll soon realize what complete darkness is.  This is the world without light.  God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the light of the world, so that regardless of your surroundings you would not be blind in the darkness.  Whatever you are struggling with today, whatever sin or temptation darkens your spirit, Jesus can overcome it.  You just need to reach out your hand and call upon His name.  He will guide you to safety.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

Through the Darkness

 

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It with your friends

“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  
                                                                       – Romans 13:12

Do you know darkness?   The enveloping stillness and absolute blindness that comes from the absence of light.  Being a math and logic geek, I find myself often pontificating about absurd things like: We are told that the speed of light equals 186 thousand miles per second.  Based on this physics fact, I have a few questions.

1) The star I’m looking at in the night sky isn’t actually there at this very moment.  It was there 4.2 years ago based on the time it takes for it’s light to actually reach my eye.  Therefore, when I wish on the first star I see tonight, did my wish come true 4.2 years ago?

2) How many micro-seconds does it take for the light to fill my 26x26 foot garage?

3) What’s the speed of dark?

I know, silly questions, but we take it for granted every single day.  We see the sunlight break through the darkness in the morning, and light our path throughout the day.  We watch the sunset each evening and see the darkness envelope us once again.  But, even then, we are not in complete darkness, for the radiance of the sun reflects off of the moon and provides light through the night.  Have you ever been in absolute darkness, without a single trace of light?  Try it.  Go into an interior room, turn off all surrounding lights in connecting rooms, close the door, close your eyes and stand perfectly still.  Count to 60 and then slowly open your eyes. 

Absolute darkness is filled with the unknown, the uncertain and the inherent fear of what might be without truly knowing.  Darkness is the absence of light.  You cannot create more darkness, it has a maximum saturation level and that is the complete absence of light.  The smallest light source will break through the darkness and create shades of black or grey.  The more light that is applied to the darkness the more comfort we feel, the more confident we become and the more actively we pursue life.

What will eternity in Hell be like?  In scripture it is described as a fiery lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 21).  It is described as an abyss, absent of any light.  In my mind there is no light, the fire must be burning, the heat tremendous, but none of it seen.  In complete darkness for eternity, hearing the agonizing cries and groans and torturous screams all from the blindness of the dark.  Absent of the One true light of the world, there is no rest, no morning, no daylight, no peace, no love, no comfort for the pain and agony.  We make light of the end times as if they are just a fairy tale, but I believe the Holy Bible is God’s word for us, and God is incapable of untruth.  Therefore, what John wrote in Revelations will come to pass.  Shouldn’t our hearts be broken for those that we love, to do everything possible to keep them from the darkness that so entices them.  If not you, than whose job is it? 

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com