From goulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties And things that go bump in the night Good Lord, deliver us! Recorded in The Cornish and West Country Litany, 1926, We fear the dark

Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,     a light on my path. 106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. 107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word. 108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,   and teach me your laws. 109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,  I will not forget your law. 110 The wicked have set a snare for me,     but I have not strayed from your precepts. 111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;   they are the joy of my heart. 112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the end.

Key verse of all Ps 119 Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,  a light on my path

The world around us is in darkness Darkness is a negative theme in scripture Gen 1:4, God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (not a reflection on skin color) Ex 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

The world around us is in darkness God is present in the darkness as well Ex 20:18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. There is nowhere where God is not!

The effects of darkness One cannot see Searching Fear sets in of what cannot see Lack of confidence Sameness brings comfort- world is small How one “feels” informs Truth is obscured What is harmful remains hidden

The effects of light It exposes Lights a path through the hazards It allows for productivity/creating It brings confidence Illuminates what could bring harm

Types of light The Enlightenment- Knowledge Advances can appear as light A realization moment- Ah ha! Political success can appear as light Spiritual enlightenment- Ahhhh! Feelings can appear as light

God dwells in darkness Ps 18:9 He parted the heavens and came down;    dark clouds were under his feet.10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;  he soared on the wings of the wind.11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

God is Light Darkness cannot overcome light Light overcomes darkness Light goes on for millions of years For light to be seen, it must be contrasted with darkness

God is light 1 John 1:5 …God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Compare and contrast The value of a person is based on what we achieve. People are deemed expendable because of the resources they will consume There is no such thing as sin God values all people because they are. God values all life as worthwhile People turn away but are loved anyway

There is a God induced darkness 2 Cor 3:13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

2 Cor 3:16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever- increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Key verse of all Ps 119 Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,  a light on my path

So What? Grab hold of the light The Bible is the Light It illuminates It shows you the way through hazards It makes the darkness flee It brings clarity Ask God for spiritual understanding, a removal of the veil.