Don't light your own fire

 

This year I’m going through the Bible in chronological order. Today’s reading took me through Isaiah 49-53. There’s so much in these chapters I could talk about, but what God impressed on me to share with my readers is found in Isaiah 50:10-11.

10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.

Light and darkness in the bible

Light in the bible symbolizes holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, hope, and God's revelation. Isaiah 2:5 tells the people of Israel to “come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” In the New Testament, the apostle John records Jesus's claim that He is the light of the world and those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but will “have the light of life.”

Darkness is the opposite of light. It represents all that separates us from God. I saw a meme on Facebook this morning that said, “Satan’s biggest lie is, if you do good you will go to heaven.” This reminded me of verses 10-11 in Isaiah 50.

In verse 10 those who fear the Lord obey his voice. In contrast, those in the darkness have no light. They are in darkness. God’s word tells them to “trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” This is an invitation to step out of darkness and to come into the light.

Verse 11 talks about people trusting in their own light (leaning on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). They kindle fire and equip themselves with burning torches. Note, this is not the light of the Lord, but the light of their own making. It represents anything we do on our own that makes us think we are good. This can include religion, good deeds, turning over a new leaf, etc. If it is from our own efforts, it’s a fire of our own making. And what is the result? The consequence is that those people “shall lie down in torment.” The Hebrew word for torment means “place of pain, place of grief.” It can also mean “terror.” Yikes! 

Grace through faith

That Facebook meme post I referred to earlier also included this verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). I’d also like to add v. 10 which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Yes, good works are part of the Christian life, but good works aren’t what get us to heaven. We were created in Christ for good works. God prepared these works ahead of time. We are to walk in them. That word walk, in the Greek, means to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities. So once we have stepped from darkness and accepted the gift of life, we walk in His light and take advantage of the opportunities he places before us because we love him and want to serve him.

Those who receive Him

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the “true light, which gives light to everyone (v 9). That he was “in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him (v. 10). That he came to his people but they did not receive him (v11). BUT, “all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (v. 12) and these believers were born spiritually not by some physical means, or the will of the flesh, or the will of man, but of God (v. 13).

Adam and Eve were created as eternal beings. When sin came into the world they became mortal. Their flesh began to die. It is because of sin that death, sickness, and corruption came into the world. But what most people don't understand is that they died spiritually too. And that is the condition of man. It is why we need to be born again.

We are still eternal beings, but our flesh is only a temporary abode. It is life after this that is forever. We will even receive a new eternal body. But where will we live? Our destination will depend on whether we believe the truth and become a child of light, or we reject that truth and remain in the darkness. The darkness that comes from lighting our own fire is the result of not believing.  

The Inheritance

In my Christian allegory, The Inheritance, people who have accepted the Truth bear the light within their hearts. They are Lightbearers. But others wear a man-made pendant of light around their necks and also call themselves lightbearers. The difference: their light is of their own making. 

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What does it mean the first will be last and the last will be first?

In Luke 13:30 Jesus says, “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last” (NASB1995). In Mark 10:31 he says, “But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.” And in Matthew 19:30, “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” The fact that this is recorded in three gospels makes it clear it is important, but have you ever wondered what it means? Is it a riddle to be figured out? Here's your first clue: It means the same thing each time it is used. To answer this question and keep this blog post reasonably short, we will go to the reference in Matthew for the answer.

Looking at first will be last and the last will be first in context

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last; and the last, first” (Matthew 19:29-30)

The next clue is that this is about people living for Jesus from the heart. Not just people following rules or trying to turn over a new leaf. These people have called upon the Lord and received the truth and spiritual life. They have repented, are born again, and willing to leave the things of this world behind. But what does this have to do with the first will be last or the last first? To understand that, let’s turn the page to the next chapter which continues this discourse. Let's look at Matthew 20:1-16.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to those he said ‘You, too, go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.

“Again he went out, about the sixth and ninth hour, and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

“They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“He said to them, ‘You, too, go into the vineyard.’

“And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.

“And when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; and they also received each one a denarius. And when they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you’ve made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

“But he answered and said to them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last shall be first, and the first last.”

 

What does it mean the first will be last and the last will be first?

There it is again. “Thus, the last shall be first, and the first last.” This statement brackets this parable, so this is our third clue. This is where we will find the answer to our question. 

The parable illustrates the meaning of the last first and first last. It shows how as believers we all finish equally before God. We receive eternal life by his grace no matter how long we’ve walked with him. Eternal life is what he has promised to those who are His. It is his to give. None of us “deserve it” because the wages of sin is death. But by his grace, he offers to cover that sin, erase that debt, and grants us eternal life. It's our new wage once we are redeemed. The one he promised. The redeemed are all the same in God’s eyes because when he looks at us, he sees the blood of his son. So there is no first or last in God's eyes. We all get what he promised equally.

 

The Inheritance eligible for 2024 Book of the Year

Hey there, fellow book enthusiasts!

Exciting news! "The Inheritance" is eligible for the 2024 Book of the Year at OnlineBookClub.org! It’s a thrilling moment for any author, but I need your help to make it to the top spot.

About The Inheritance

"The Inheritance" isn’t just a book; it’s a journey. Think “A modern-day "Pilgrim's Progress meets The Giver." ~ Kelli - AdventureHS com

This action-packed allegorical fantasy quest delivers fantastic creatures, and a flawed hero caught up in a struggle against dogmatism in his search for Truth. One reader said: “The Inheritance is not a rewritten version of John Bunyan’s classic, but an original fantasy that proved exciting and hard to put down.” Not your typical Christian allegory but written for today’s fantasy enthusiasts with adventure, mystery, humor, and romance as you enter this battle of good versus evil within the Valley of Shadow.

This coming-of-age fantasy adventure uses allegorical language to explore themes of individuality, societal norms, and moral ambiguity, amid challenges and influences on this quest for Truth. From the mountain settlement of Lofty Thought, the journey enters the Valley of Shadow and follows River Tradition.

Vote for the Inheritance by Donna Sundblad

Now, I need your support to make "The Inheritance" stand out among the competition. By clicking the special share links on this page, you can help spread the word and gather more votes for "The Inheritance." Your support means the world to me, and it could make all the difference in securing this prestigious title.

So, let’s band together and make "The Inheritance" the 2024 Book of the Year! Share the link far and wide, rally your friends and family, and let’s show the world the power of a captivating story.

Thank you for your support, and happy reading!

Offer Thanksgiving - Psalm 50:53 Verse of the Day

It's a gray day; early morning. I've finished my Bible reading and now sit in my workspace with my cat curled beside me, sipping a hot cup of coffee as I glance out at the world through the window. A split in the clouds reminds me of the crack in the wall on Dr. Who. But this split reveals the light blue sky beyond the heavy gray. It reminds me that above all the gray there is sunshine and blue skies. I thank God for that reminder and soon the split is larger and the tangerine highlights of the sun mark the bottom edge of the widening split. In the short time it took me to type this, that crack has turned into a large swath of blue sky with layers of lacy gray clouds drifting to the north. It reminds me of my favorite verse from my reading this morning.

Verse of the Day Psalm 50:53

 

With all that life throws at us, it is hard at times to "feel" thankful, but long ago, I learned to practice thanksgiving as a sacrifice to God, even when I didn't feel like being thankful.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:4-7)

My first memory of putting this into practice is from back in the 80s as I drove to work on a gray day in Northern Illinois. There were times we didn't see the sun for weeks and it could be depressing. I'd use driving time to talk to God, but that day I was in a bit of a funk. The sky showed no definition of clouds, it was like a ceiling painted a solid color. Light gray. I didn't feel like going to work, I didn't like the cold weather, and I could easily fall into grumbling about all the things I didn't like. But I was reminded that "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving..." And so I searched for something to be thankful for and looked at the sky. I realized it was the color of my favorite eye shadow at the time and I thanked God for it's beauty. As I scanned the world around me I realized I had much to be thankful for, and by the time I walked into work, it was with a new attitude, God was guarding my heart and mind. 

I am thankful. Amen

 

The Inheritance Coming of age Christian fantasy

Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a symbolic fantasy adventure with a Christian message. Ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families.

 

 

 

Review copies available upon request. Just ask for one in the comments below.