2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14 ESV, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28 ESV, Psalm 82:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 25:9-10 ESV
Daily Verse: “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4 ESV)
SKOTOS (4655): “Is the exact opposite of phos (5457-light). It is a neuter noun used in the NT as the equivalent of skotia (4653-physical darkness). Metaphorically, of “moral and spiritual darkness,”1 Thes.5:4.”[1]
Spiritual darkness.
Paul’s telling the Thessalonian believers they don’t have to worry about the day of judgment. Because they acknowledge their sin willingly before God, repenting and submitting their lives to Him, they needn’t fear judgment day.
In a recent message at our church, the pastor shared a story. A man, driving alone at night in California, has a car in front of him. Suddenly the ground shakes, and the vehicle ahead disappears. As the drive nears where the car disappeared, he sees the gaping hole in the road caused by the earthquake, stopping short of the newly formed ravine.
All in.
Gaping at the car far below, the man doesn’t know what to do. Then he realizes another vehicle’s heading in the same direction. Standing by the side of the road, he flags them to stop, but they don’t, also driving into the ravine.
Before he can process the events, he sees a bus coming at him.
“I decided in that moment that the only way the bus was going over the cliff was if it took me with it.” Driver
The two cars who went into the ravine didn’t know what lay ahead. But the man who saved the bus did. Only when he committed his life to the mission did the driver get the bus to stop.
Many people live in spiritual darkness in our world, heading for a surprise ending. Dedicating our lives to help them see the light means going all in with God. Like Christ gave His life for us, we must give our lives for others, serving them to the best of our ability.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 229) Thomas Nelson
