Walking In The Dark 

Walking In The Dark

“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10 (NKJV)

Without a doubt, we are living in some very dark times. Sickness, disease, lockdowns, economic and political problems plague us right now. There is a real possibility of World War III. The darkness seems to be all around us. We are being forced to approve of other people’s sinfulness. We live in dark days. Humanity has been here before, believe it or not. Human history is rife with dominating and violent totalitarian governments, kings, rulers and tyrants who decided that they had a need to take over the world. Some succeeded, and depending upon who’s side you were on, they became great leaders and not only prospered their own country, but also that of their citizens. From Babylon to Assyria, from Greece to Rome, each had their ups and downs with the tinge of brutality.

Human suffering is part of the plan of these men who, when their wealth or power is threatened, force conscripted ‘soldiers’ into the field to die in order to secure said wealth and power. Corrupt leaders only look out for their own self interest, not the betterment of their people and their lands. How are such times to be tolerated? 

The best and arguably, the only way, to navigate such seasons is by being what the Bible calls someone who, “fears the LORD.” Looking at a concordance, you can easily find scriptures that have a definition of the “fear of the LORD.” 

Proverbs 2:5 tells us that we will understand what the fear of the LORD is when we seek wisdom and understanding with all our hearts. Proverbs 8:13 says that the fear of the LORD is to hate evil. Proverbs 9:10 describes the fear of the LORD as the beginning of wisdom. It prolongs our days according Proverbs 10:27, gives us strong confidence (Proverbs 14:26), and in the very next verse (27) is the fountain of life! I could go on and on.

What is the fear of the LORD, then? It is important for us to know in order to apply what Isaiah is saying. Are we living in dark times? Absolutely. Can we trust in the name of the LORD? Only if we are among those who fear the LORD. We get a clue as to what the fear of the LORD is by the next phrase in Isaiah 50:10, “Who obeys the voice of his Servant.” If we fear the LORD, we will obey his Servant. The word is capitalized in the NKJV. The reason? It is pointing to Messiah Jesus. If we obey Jesus, we show the fear of the LORD and we will be able to rely upon him in the darkest of times.

Am I trying to purport a works-based salvation? Yes. Well, no, but yes. Ultimate Salvation, with a capital “S”, is by grace, through faith, not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8). Even in the next verse, Isaiah 50:11, it says that we can not walk in our own fire:

“Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment.” Isaiah 50:11 (NKJV)

It can not be more clear; if we walk in our own morality (kindled fire), or even in our own wisdom (fire and sparks), we will find nothing but torment.

But when it comes to salvation, small “s”, from a certain circumstance or difficulty, the only way through that situation is by obeying the voice of the Servant, Jesus. We can not overcome without obeying. He gives us the instructions on how to survive in almost any situation in his word. We just have to apply those things and believe that God’s wisdom is better than ours. 

So, we are saved by grace and saved by obedience. Some might get tripped up by this, but remember, application of light to a dark situation will forever put us on the side of Christ. Lord you have saved us so we ask you to save us in the fear of the LORD.