Day 25/365- Job 24:13

"Wicked people rebel against the light.
They refuse to acknowledge its ways
or stay in its paths. (Job 24:13 NLT)

"Nothing good happens after midnight." That's what my mom used to always say. I've never forgotten it. I'm sure some good things in life have happened after 12 am but the principle is sound.

 John 3:19 says something similar, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil."

We like the dark. The darkness hides things. It's a seemingly safe place where people can't see us like we really are. In the dark it's hard to see people's faces, hard to recognize even people you know. In the dark, it's hard to see your hand in front of your face. In the dark, things go unnoticed that we would usually catch in the day time. We, as sinners, love the dark because we can continue to love our sin there and go unnoticed. We don't have to submit to accountability. We don't have to answer to anyone. We only answer to ourselves.

This, however, is a mirage. It promises freedom (and seems like it at first) but it is actually a prison cell. Living in the dark not only keeps people from seeing us clearly but also keeps us from seeing God clearly. We do what Proverbs 28:1 says, "The wicked run when no one is pursuing." Living in the dark means that we are always looking over our shoulder. Always waiting to get caught. Living day after day with a strained conscience. This is not the life God intended for us. 

1 John 1:7-9 talks about the life God intends for us. "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 cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

If we are willing to admit our guilt, bring our sin into the light, we can finally begin to live the life that God wants for us. It may not be pleasant in the short run but in the end, we will reap eternal life!