"Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness...." Ps. 112:4a
The righteous life is not a matter of smug piety and self-satisfaction; rather, it is a matter of seeing things as they are. The whole world lies in darkness, and fallen humanity stumbles about. The redeemed of the Lord are simply those whom light has shined upon, and now they can see. Their walk is now marked with flashes of realization and awakening. Reality becomes clearer and clearer. At long last, what's truly important can be clung to, what's non-essential can be held loosely, and what's evil can be properly abhorred. Where once we could only make half-guesses and hope for the best, now we receive true knowledge. Where once we were blind, now we see.
This clarity is not absolute and instantaneous. Reality is not comprehended in an instant nor in entirety. How can it be? God is Reality, the most real, and He is beyond absolute comprehension (Rom. 11:33). The righteous life does not mean an end to mystery. What it does mean is that "there arises light in the darkness," momentary yet momentous illuminations that give us the clarity that we desperately need at that moment. For now, we know in part; one day, we will know in full (I Cor. 13:9-12). Until then, let us praise the God who lights our night with His presence and truth, the God who is "gracious and full of compassion and righteousness" (Ps. 112:4b).
-Jon Vowell (c) 2010
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