October 12th

Exodus 9:1-10:29; Matthew 26:69-27:10; Psalm 20:1-9

Rather than write about them every time they mess up I’m thinking of starting a “numpty count” in the side bar for every time a godly person does something daft. A classic today, Peter denying Jesus 3 times.

On a very different tack however, have you ever been scared of the dark? Even if the answer to that question is “no” I’d like to tell you that you have been – just a little bit. Because we can’t see as well, all our other senses heighten, we are more aware of our surroundings to try and compensate for the loss of a sense, it is a natural response. You may not be incapacitated by fear but fear-like reactions ensure that we adapt to our surroundings. Now imagine how you would feel if that darkness was total. You can’t even see the person sat next to you and it is the middle of the day. And all of this after a lot of other weird stuff has been going on, blood for water, boils, hail, locusts and now the sun has fallen out of the sky. Even after 10 minutes or an hour, when ‘your eyes have got used to the dark’, you still can’t see a thing. There is a noise behind you, a creak to your left, a thud in front of you and you can’t see a thing! This is what the Egyptians have gone through. I think even the hardest people amongst us would be scared.

Now imagine that you are in that place, you are scared out of your wits, you don’t know what is going on around you and it is darker than dark has ever been. But there is someone behind you, in fact the more you concentrate, there is a whole host of people behind you. And they are shining brighter than the sun. Jesus said yesterday “I [can] call on my father and he will put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:54). Turn around and see the whole host that God has put at your disposal.

And this is not a pie in the sky claim. Check out the Psalm for today “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you support from the sanctuary”.

Is it a bit dark where you are right now? Are you thinking that you are about to walk into somewhere that is really dark? Turn around and see the twelve legions that have been sent to back you up.