13 "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves..."
The first thing I notice in this verse is that it is in the
present tense. Words, written hundreds of years ago, are verbalized in the
present - as though they are current. "...brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves..." The statement was true back in the day it
was written, it is true today. Jesus death rescues us from darkness and
ushers us into the light when we embrace Him.
The dominion of darkness is all
around us. We can't help but be aware of the evil that resides in our world,
the wickedness that lives, sometimes in our own backyards. But there is also Good
News in that we have been rescued from all these forces of evil.
We may have to witness it sometimes, but we don't have to practice
this way of life. What we do need to do is learn how to help others to
recognize the difference Jesus makes in our hearts. We need to share the Good News
simply by living as though we are children of God.
This isn’t easy, and we must
grow some tough skin. We will encounter lots of opposition and some of it in
the form of ridicule and rejection. That is where the hardy crust comes into
play. Let’s pray for God to give us a covering which deflects the cruel barbs
and responds with patience and prayer.
Dear Jesus,
Cover us with your protective shield. Empower us to encounter those who don't know you yet. Let us be beacons of light in their dark world. Amen.
