“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes…
I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:1-3,5-6
“With you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.” Psalm 36:9
“You are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation…
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8,16-18
When soul and heart are tight with turmoil, there is only one place to go, one face to seek. Our heavenly and best Friend never stops watching over us in loving affection, though sometimes our circumstances make hazy His face. Our vision can become distorted by pain, lose clarity in confusion, or be cut off by the thick fog of doubt and duty. But from the deep dark of how long? we can cry out for God to light up our eyes.
When He does, we see all things afresh. Monochromatic despair turns to vibrant hope, and amorphous events take beautiful and meaningful shape in the context of divine purpose. A heart that sees His loving hand can now rejoice and bubble over in bounteous thanksgiving.
What is true is that in Christ, we are children of light, and need not let our hearts flirt with darkness at all. The enemy would taunt our joy and tease our peace to entangle and trip us up in doubt or despair, but God has transferred us to everlasting day, and is Himself our bright morning star. In the light of His salvation and the radiance of His splendor, we see light, and everything by that light, and are raised to new heights of wonder, and hope, and gladness. (Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16)
For what attitudes, or circumstances, do we need God to light up our eyes and adjust our vision? Where are we choosing shadow-living when we have been called to come out of darkness? Into what corners and recesses of our souls should we welcome His light to expose, to enlighten, to awaken growth? What evidence is there in my speech, loves, and actions, that I am a child of the day?
Lord, lift Your countenance upon me even as Your face shines toward mine. Clear my vision, color me Yours, and keep me reflecting You who are the light of my eyes, of my life, and of the world. (Numbers 6:24-27)
As the rain and snow 