Friday, March 5th, ‘10

Friday, March 5^th, ‘10

LIGHT BEFORE THE FIGHT

“Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails” (Zephaniah 3:5)

Notice, God “never fails”. Like Him, we are to live in consistent victory. Our plans are to succeed. We are to “increase with the increase of God” (Col 2:19). Why does He never fail? Because of the preceding line, “Every morning He brings His justice to light…” Obviously, God doesn’t open the morning with prayer and guidance from the Word but that is our application of the verse. “Every morning”, that is, we are to begin the day seeking direction and inviting His presence. You may feel your schedule won’t permit a devotional time in the morning, but the fact is, you don’t have time not to include the Lord. Jesus commanded, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…” If we will listen He will speak – “He brings His justice to light…” The Holy Spirit unveils the day’s plan. He will direct our steps and oftentimes reveal any traps to be faced during the day. The word “justice” includes all right ways of dealing with the day’s problems and works. That justice or counsel is hidden in the Word, which remains unperceived to the mind until He brings it “to light”. That requires an open, receptive mind. Once we get light on it we can get right on it. What a confidence builder it is to enter the boardroom knowing that God has spoken direction early that morning.

It is a revelation of “His light”. “In thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36:9). He grants marching light with the morning light. The General gives marching orders first thing in the morning. Divine direction dawns best at dawn. Jesus sought the Father “in the morning…before daylight…” (Mark 1:35) I take that to mean that the day “dawned” while Jesus was in prayer. In other words, He received the day’s portfolio first thing in the morning. All His day’s steps were ordered in advance. Many of life’s “dawnings” occur while seeking His justice. Equipped with snippets of God’s wisdom, grasped through morning prayer, failure becomes impossible.

This is light before the fight. The workday has been termed “dog eat dog”, the rat race, swimming with sharks and so on. Life is fraught with landmines. It helps to have a functional detecting device. The Hebrews “had light in their dwellings” while all Egypt was plagued with darkness. In an hour when the world is flummoxed over what to do “even the night shall be light about me” (Psalm 139:11). When He brings His justice to light, all darkness is driven away. When darkness goes fear goes with it. What I’m emphasizing is clarity. Failure is caused by dimness and uncertainty. But when you have a clear path, clear options, clear insight into your enemy’s ways and clear understanding of the will of God, there is no way you can be defeated. God brings justice to light then, as the verse says, “He never fails”. The same operates for all believers. Our part of the equation is to get up so He can light it up.