“Every word you give me is a miracle word—how could I help but obey? Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning.”
-Psalm 119:129-130 MSG
As you may or may not have noticed, I haven’t posted any recent blog posts. To put it simply, I took a little writing hiatus to just live some life.
As a teacher with summers off, I decided to spend this entire summer hanging out with my babies. I also had the amazing privilege of watching my niece and nephew a day or two each week and let me tell you that those four kiddos together were a riot! And side note- my daily average on my pedometer was between 17,000 -20,000 steps. There was lots of fun to be had, and we were on the move. I had to go back to work just to get some rest!
Something that God often reminds me is that there are seasons for everything under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1), but there are some seasons you don’t get back. My children will never be two years old and four years old again, so this season had to be embraced.
There is something else God laid on my heart throughout my writing hiatus. Comfort zones can easily turn into complacency. I don’t know about you, but I can get very comfortable in my own little world. It’s dark and scary out there, and many times I feel so out-of-place in the world. For the most part I am happy just hanging out with my family and my close friends, hiding out with my Bible (and coffee of course) and happily moving along with my blogging and writing.
If you can relate to this feeling at all it is because we do not belong to this world (see John 17:14). Yet, John 17 records Jesus’ prayer for us, His disciples,
“I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.”
We are not of the world, but He is sending us into the world. Yes, time with our family and friends, quiet time with Jesus, and ministry are all essential, but we have to get out there. Taking any spiritual advice about standing firm in the world from someone who isn’t out there living in the world won’t hold much water, right?
Do you know where light shines the brightest? In darkness. Our key verse today says, “Break open your words, let the light shine out.” We are called to go out into the dark world, break open the words of God, and let the light shine out.
Are you with me? Let’s kick complacency to the curb, step far beyond our comfort zones into the world, and let the light shine out.
