Micah 7:8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.

This is a marvelous statement of faith that has rightly been set to music. Everyone has moments that seem dark, times when we fall flat, generally because of our own mistakes. For the person who knows God, such times are real, but they are no more than incidents, bumps in the road. As David famously proclaimed, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) We are not to expect life to be “easy street,” as Jesus cautioned us strongly, (John 16:33) but we are to abide in peace and joy, knowing that our God is bigger than any problem and stronger than any sin. We do have an enemy, the devil, and generally we have people who are influenced by him who see themselves as our enemies as well. We can quote this verse to them any time!

I have mercifully had few people who seemed to set themselves up as my enemies, but I have certainly had people who looked down on me or despised me for one reason or another. I was thankfully raised with an awareness of God’s love for me, and that has guarded me well over the years. I remember one person in the Army who took a dislike to me, and when he was given a message for me to report to the office to receive a promotion, deliberately didn’t tell me, in hopes that I wouldn’t receive the promotion. God intervened, but in human terms it was a close call. I literally hadn’t remembered him, even, in over 40 years! I’m sure that I will have more falls, more dark times, before I leave this earth, but I have no reason to dread them, because as Micah and David said, the Lord is my light and my salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me remember it all the time, particularly when the devil tries to drag me down through my circumstances, or even by ideas he puts in my mind. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!