Never in my life had I wanted a flashlight . . . until. Well, let me explain. Flashlights give me headaches. One flash in the wrong direction and I’m seeing spots and then get an instant headache. If I avoid them, I’m fine. Besides, they are rarely where I need them to be when I need one. They run out of batteries shortly after getting into a routine of using one, and they usually offer an insignificant amount of light.

If the power goes out at our place, I rely on those around me who hopefully have flashlight skills to wield said dangerous light beam. Honestly, I would rather inch my way to any given destination in the dark than bother with a flashlight.

My husband, David, knows this about me. So, one night he began opening a freshly-delivered package. He opened it with glee and handed one of two flashlights to our thirteen-year-old daughter. After charging the batteries, David began displaying what the new, high-powered gadgets were capable of, and wow! He stood at the top of the stairs and shone light to the opposite side of the house and out the kitchen window. It lit up the end of the deck like a floodlight. From where I sat in the living room, I could see all the way to the garden.

I wanted one! What changed? Surely this was ten times more of a headache producer than a regular flashlight. But the fact is, the following week I was headed to a writer’s retreat in a remote area. The cabins were powered by a generator which shut off at 10 p.m. A flashlight was on the necessities list as bears and other wildlife frequent there.

Funny how new circumstances changed my opinion, escalating said flashlight to a necessity. A middle-aged woman needing to find the restroom in a critter infested area in the middle of the night? YES, flashlight please!

Do we ever choose to steer clear of God’s light? Or avoid His counsel because we suspect the same thing—that it won’t meet our need, worse yet it will spotlight something we don’t want to let go of? Or do we stumble in the dark thinking God’s words will cause pain?

Jesus calls Himself the light of life. He is said to be the only light in heaven.

Speaking of God being light and His word illuminating, Isaiah 8:20 warns, “…If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” This is written in the context of people not wanting to listen to God and His word any more, instead going to other sources for counsel and stumbling in the dark.

Woah! I don’t want to be that person. Especially as increased hardship comes to this earth.

What about you? Are there any areas, like me, you’ve chosen to stumble around in the dark? Have you also experienced insufficient or unreliable light in the past and would rather not bother? Has seeking spiritual help ever been painful? I want to encourage you to take time every day in God’s word as your true light and reliable source of wisdom. Ask Him to guide you as you read. Many have appreciated the book of John and some Psalms to start with. Invite God to help you understand what He’s written. If you don’t sense His direction right away, WAIT. Sometimes it takes seasons of prayer and Bible reading before we notice God’s leading in our lives. When He illuminates your path—making things more clear, you might feel a little mole like. But you won’t be sorry.

Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

The writer’s retreat was fantastic. The bathrooms were inside after all. Early one morning we heard elk bugle which continued for hours. Several of us went on a night hike but didn’t see any bears. It was great to be prepared.

For the Jacob Generation,

Melinda Poling

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105