(December 21, 2022) Dr Jim McClure reminds us that Christians have triumphant hope above the storms, sufferings and sadnesses of today’s dark times…
‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you’ declared the prophet over 2700 years ago.
In chapter 59 he painted a picture of corruption that primarily referred to a time of national distress for Israel, a time when people were blindly groping in the darkness of sin, a time of hopelessness and fear, a time when encroaching despair threatened to extinguish all confidence for the future.
But Isaiah’s message contained a further dimension. It was not only relevant to the collapse of society at that time but also pointed into a future time when that crushing darkness would be banished in the glorious light of God’s intervention and presence.
Crushing darkness in our time
We are living in perilous times!
Not only do we continue to learn of increased crime, such as the murder of two young police officers, football crowd rampage, continuing covid cases and deaths, Russia still warring against Ukraine, financial uneasiness, teenagers in trouble, troubled minds… but, moving at an unprecedented pace, the overthrow of sound moral principles that have stood the test of time and the welcoming of perverse values in which good is called evil and evil is called good.
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