I have a lamp that sits beside my bed. Its very old, first my grandmother's, then my mothers, and now it sits upon my nightstand. My Bible is there beside whatever books I am reading, piled in a somewhat disheveled fashion, accompanied by the alarm clock, with which I have a very unhealthy relationship:)
For as long as I can remember I have admired the little lamp. It's very dainty and the entire lamp is made of cut glass. For a long time I had the lamp stored and didn't use it because it was so old and I didn't want it to get broken, but a few years ago I changed my mind, put a bulb in it, and it has donned my nightstand ever since.
As evening falls, I love to turn on my lamp as it provides just enough light to see in the hall as you enter that end of the house. I do most of my study of scripture and reading at night by the light of that delicate little lamp, and it sits patiently and waits for me every evening.
But I decide whether it is turned on or whether it isn't, I decide WHEN it comes on. My lamp doesn't automatically begin to shine at nightfall.
Whether it's night or not, I always have my lamp, but I have to put it into use. I have to put a bulb in it. I have to plug it in to a power source, but still it does not come on by itself, I have to turn the switch before the lamp invades the darkness of my bedroom.
Without lamp light, the room is dark, it's hard to see where I'm going and I certainly can't study very well in the dark.
For as long as I can remember I have admired the little lamp. It's very dainty and the entire lamp is made of cut glass. For a long time I had the lamp stored and didn't use it because it was so old and I didn't want it to get broken, but a few years ago I changed my mind, put a bulb in it, and it has donned my nightstand ever since.
As evening falls, I love to turn on my lamp as it provides just enough light to see in the hall as you enter that end of the house. I do most of my study of scripture and reading at night by the light of that delicate little lamp, and it sits patiently and waits for me every evening.
But I decide whether it is turned on or whether it isn't, I decide WHEN it comes on. My lamp doesn't automatically begin to shine at nightfall.
Whether it's night or not, I always have my lamp, but I have to put it into use. I have to put a bulb in it. I have to plug it in to a power source, but still it does not come on by itself, I have to turn the switch before the lamp invades the darkness of my bedroom.
Without lamp light, the room is dark, it's hard to see where I'm going and I certainly can't study very well in the dark.
She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
Proverbs 31:18
We know when night is coming in this physical world, we can look up the time the sun is supposed to set on any given day, but we do not always know when "night" is coming for us spiritually.
Night is coming.
As you have probably already noticed, this scripture is taken from Proverbs 31, describing the "virtuous woman". In this verse, what is it that we can learn from her?
Night is coming.
As you have probably already noticed, this scripture is taken from Proverbs 31, describing the "virtuous woman". In this verse, what is it that we can learn from her?
Her lamp does not go out at night.
What I notice is that it says her lamp does not "go out" at night. It doesn't say she turns her lamp on at night which leads me to think her lamp was on during the daylight hours, before it got dark, but when night came, she did not turn down the flame. She didn't give up when darkness began to creep in and she didn't surrender to the night and it's uncertainty.
She had her lamp on, which dispelled the darkness as it began to creep her way.
I love that the original word for lamp in this verse is the same word used to describe the lamps that were used to light the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, which were to continually burn and were never to go out. And it's the same word used to describe the Word of God in Psalms 119:105, a lamp unto my feet. It's also used to describe a fire or flame.
When night comes in your life, do you have a flame that burns within you?
God can give you that.
You also need to know that the word for night in this verse means adversity. The virtuous woman made sure the light was burning before night, before adversity came, and when the night fell, the light shined on, illuminating her steps in the darkness.
Sometimes our nights are long, longer than the amount of light we have on hand and we must use the light that was already burning to illuminate the darkness so that we can take in more light from the truth of His word.
Friend, if you are in a long night, I understand where you are. It's lonely and can seem to never end. Can I make a request of you? Don't give up and feel it's not worth it to press on. Don't flip the switch. Don't stop taking in more light just because it's dark. I have let that happen before, and it only gets darker. Be careful to take in more light for tomorrow.
Don't stumble over something in the darkness.
And don't be afraid of the dark.
Like the Proverbs 31 woman, turn on your lamp now - before nightfall, sweet sister. And if it's already dark in your neck of the woods, reach for the light, flip the switch and take in more of the lamp for your feet.
It only takes a little bit of light to chase away a great deal of darkness.
The Light of the World is waiting for you. He will light your way.
She had her lamp on, which dispelled the darkness as it began to creep her way.
I love that the original word for lamp in this verse is the same word used to describe the lamps that were used to light the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, which were to continually burn and were never to go out. And it's the same word used to describe the Word of God in Psalms 119:105, a lamp unto my feet. It's also used to describe a fire or flame.
When night comes in your life, do you have a flame that burns within you?
God can give you that.
You also need to know that the word for night in this verse means adversity. The virtuous woman made sure the light was burning before night, before adversity came, and when the night fell, the light shined on, illuminating her steps in the darkness.
Sometimes our nights are long, longer than the amount of light we have on hand and we must use the light that was already burning to illuminate the darkness so that we can take in more light from the truth of His word.
Friend, if you are in a long night, I understand where you are. It's lonely and can seem to never end. Can I make a request of you? Don't give up and feel it's not worth it to press on. Don't flip the switch. Don't stop taking in more light just because it's dark. I have let that happen before, and it only gets darker. Be careful to take in more light for tomorrow.
Don't stumble over something in the darkness.
And don't be afraid of the dark.
Like the Proverbs 31 woman, turn on your lamp now - before nightfall, sweet sister. And if it's already dark in your neck of the woods, reach for the light, flip the switch and take in more of the lamp for your feet.
It only takes a little bit of light to chase away a great deal of darkness.
The Light of the World is waiting for you. He will light your way.
