You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want . . . Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:1, 4.

I love this final prayer in Hearing God by Dallas Willard for today: “Pray: Review with God your “failures” to do great works in the past. Turn them over one by one and thank God for Himself and for the future possibilities of real interaction with Him.”

Sometimes I come to Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit…with a heavy heart laden with yet another failure – something I said, or a failure of whatever kind. As I sat thinking about that I could almost envision a personal bubble we walk in where darkness can be. We know the darkness in this world and it seems like sometimes that darkness can be within us, in a bubble we are carried in. In prayer later, I saw a path with light golden brown dirt smooth and gentle; and in front of me was Jesus with arm outstretched and hand reaching out for me. The surrounding air was so clear and fresh and beautiful in its own right, and light permeated everything. No bubble of darkness.

And in our chapter, Ecclesiastes 8…Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance…Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it…I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before Him…So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun…v. 1, 7-8, 12, 15. Other verses describe more meaninglessness in this chapter that we all can observe as we go through life wondering why those who commit evil get away with it. That’s why Solomon commended the enjoyment of life lived with reverence for God and why Willard commends thanking God for Himself. Why do I say that? Because of the last verses…When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth – people getting no sleep day or night…then…I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it. v. 16-17.

Could you design the human heart with no template? Could you design the way the lungs and heart work in a fetus in the womb before drawing first breath? Could you design the heart of a hummingbird or the blue whale? Could you create the wonder and beauty of creation and have your children, created in your image, turn away from you to embrace evil…and you still love them? Thank God for being our God! Thank Him that we are secure in His Love and His care and provision even through the darkest bubbles of evil. The evil will not overcome us even in the valley of death, because we have this promise from Jesus, sure and true…I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33.