On a childhood vacation, I experience total darkness in a chilly, damp underground cavern. When the underground lights switch off, it’s so dark that I can’t see my own hands in front of my face. As an adult, I experience that same total darkness during emergency surgery.
In that cavern, the tour guide restores the lights, but it’s God Who reveals the Light during my surgery.
In Colossians 1:13, the Apostle Paul teaches that God “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” One single sentence that defines God’s redemption plan and Jesus’ rescue mission. Jesus pays the price for our sins on the cross, so we celebrate eternity in Heaven rather than suffer in hell.
After emergency surgery, there are years in the darkness of overwhelming financial issues and a broken marriage. The surgery results in five months of recovery, and I’m unable to work. Financially, we’re devastated. These stresses weave their way into the cracks of my marriage, emphasizing every single weakness until we become two distant individuals living under one roof. Our hearts are blanketed in total darkness for nearly two decades. That bleakness undergirds my belief I am unworthy and unloved.
Until I clearly understand two things: God’s plan of redemption and my Rescuer.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God intentionally created a plan of redemption through Jesus Christ to rescue me. He did the same for you. I spent decades allowing Satan to persuade me I was unworthy and powerless to earn God’s love. According to Satan, I could do nothing to be loved by God. But here’s the truth: We don’t need to do anything.
God’s Word is the Sword of Truth which can erode Satan’s lies, lodged against our Father’s merciful plan of redemption, and firmly plant these understandings in our head and heart: It’s not about being worthy; it’s about God’s mercy. It’s not about earning God’s love; it’s about receiving it.
My friends, Jesus’ rescue mission reveals His love for you! I pray you can walk in the Light as you experience these truths today, too.
