Ezekiel 5-8 Eyes Wide Shut

December 16th, Ezekiel 5-8

       So dark, I can't open my eyes. I don't know if you've ever been in a place like this, I know I have. Years of being a youth pastor means years of hiding in various church buildings from California to West Virginia, from Minnesota to Texas. One building in particular had a room in the basement with no windows, then there were closets in the room…utter darkness.  Not one bit of light. Even when your eyes tried to adjust there was no way to see your hand in front of your face.
       In the middle of a game of sardines, I found it hard to wait there and keep my eyes open. When your eyes are open you are supposed to see stuff. It's very odd to have your eyes wide shut. It was almost like I was forced to close my eyes, I couldn't stand the darkness unless my eyes were closed. There I sat waiting.
       In this Christmas season we are hearing verses about those walking in darkness have seen a great light. As I read the text here in Ezra, I'm having this dark, dark closet moment. This text goes on and on and on about the failures of God's people and its leaders and I really feel like I can't write a devotional about it. It's too dark and at this point I'm more interested in the light.
       Maybe that's why there were 400 silent years. Maybe the darkest hour is just before dawn. Maybe light has to become more valuable to us than darkness. Praise God for the sunrise.