i had a dream last night...

I dreamt I had no place to live and would soon be moving into the basement of a very old house. There were no windows and a single bulb hung from the ceiling. Cobwebs and dust were everywhere, the dark corners filled with broken and abandoned things. Standing under the bulb, I could only make out shapes of what surrounded me. I was given a flashlight but was afraid to use it; I didn't want to see what was lurking in the dark.

God wants to shine His light into the dark places of our lives. It could be a past full of secrets and lies, living day in and day out fearful that someone will discover the truth. It could be family dysfunction, leading to feelings of worthlessness and shame. It could be reckless living in regards to parenting, marriage, or finances. Whatever it is, God wants to make His way into those dark places to bring restoration and hope. Ever the gentleman, He waits for our invitation - never forcing, never pushing.

God used this dream to remind me how scary it can be to peek into those dark corners. For many of us, standing under the lightbulb is simply good enough. After all, life is about survival.

Or is it?

I love the following verse that Jesus quoted in the Gospel of Luke:

THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn... [Luke 4:16-20 (AMP)]

Here's an excerpt from the original verse in the Book of Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. [Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)]

Jesus came to start a revolution of love and grace, to bring in the liberating and saving empire of God... so we could live without fear, live without condemnation, live without doubt, live with without shame.

Live, not merely survive.

Don't get me wrong, Jesus never said that life would be perfect. In fact, he tells us quite the opposite: "In this world, you will have trouble." (John 16:33, emphasis mine.) But if we hold onto Him and the promises left behind, we will have FREEDOM.

You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. 2 Samuel 22:29

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light. Job 12:22

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:11-12

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me shall stay in darkness. John 12:42