Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone upon my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,
when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
when my children were all around me,
6 when my steps were washed with butter,
and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
The good old days weren’t always good and tomorrow’s not as bad as it seems. It is not often I get to quote Billy Joel but these lyrics could be told to Job who yearns for the good old days, when God loved him. It is understandable that he feels abandoned after his trials but he is mistaken none the less. It is precisely during this time that God watched over him and shone his light on him, and was with him. Job was simply not looking to God.
We can yearn for the good old days as we see the rapid decay of the world but think back to the 2 World Wars of the twentieth century, the Civil War in the 19th, and the Black Death in the 14th. All these times were not the good old days but God was there with his people, watching over them and shining his light on them. It is in these dark times that his light will shine brightest. Try lighting a candle in a cave and you will see that God is with you.
Dear Lord, thank you that you are there in our darkest times. Help us to radiate the light you shine so the world may know. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church