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December 5th 2020

David_Orr • December 5, 2020
'And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. ' Acts 12:7
The Light
In writing time yesterday was the day after Thanksgiving and I was in an awful state of depression. Thanksgiving is usually all of my brother’s kids and grandchildren all gathered together in joyous Chaos. This year it was my mom and dad and one brother and after the older left the other brother came. I am usually depressed the day after thanksgiving but it is because it’s like coming down off a High. This year it was a depression that the high never happened. I gave up the continuous fake High I once kept to be able to feel good things again years ago. I knew I would have to endure the bad too to get to the good but yesterday I was upset. Satan had stolen one of my few good days that I wait all year for. But unlike Peter in today’s Reading I wasn’t in prison. Yesterday’s devotional took almost 3 hours to write because I was fighting every word Satan was trying to interject. I knew what I was feeling was for God’s purpose to shape what I was writing. After I was finished The Holy Spirit told me to go back and read the devotional from November 17th 2015. After I had scheduled everything I forgot until I was on my way back to write this morning. The reading covered 3 chapters in Joshua from the crossing of the Jordan to the defeat of Jericho. I knew before I even sat down that God tried to lead me to something that could have freed from yesterday’s dungeon. From the memorial stones taken from the bottom of the dry river to the fallen walls of Jericho God told me to remember. The biggest happening in Joshua 4-6 was Joshua meeting Jesus the Captain of the LORD’s Army. Joshua asked “Friend or Foe” and Jesus said “Neither! I’m your BOSS!” In today’s reading Peter was about to be beheaded for preaching the Gospel by Herod. John’s brother James had already been beheaded and the Church at Jerusalem earnestly prayed for Peter’s release. Jesus sent an angel to get Peter out and Peter knocked on the church door “Let Me In!” And the girl that came to the door was so excited “It’s Peter” and she forgot to open the door. I am amazed at them and at myself for not understanding God had answered our prayer. By the end of this chapter Herod was dead and would no longer be a problem. It’s hard to shine in the middle of hard things but Darkness is what magnifies THE LIGHT. For there to be Salvation there has to be a condemnation to overcome. 5 years ago I had determined that I did not have to make God’s plan happen: that’s His Joy. My responsibility is obedience. Had I remembered his command and been obedient yesterday afternoon I would have spent Yesterday in His Light. As it worked out my night of darkness magnified today’s LIGHT. It was to be the fuel for today’s lantern but surely I could have remembered that victory until this morning. I might have even been led to write this yesterday. If I had sought that Light yesterday would God have not reminded me that my obedience was incomplete? I sit here in Great Joy and shame because I could have met with the Boss and been fixed. Delaying Obedience for whatever reason delays the good God wants to give you. Our Darkness is our doing because THE LIGHT doesn’t do darkness.

Ridgecrest Blog

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