Walk During the Day - Reflections on John 11:9-10 and the Words of Jesus Christ

John 11:9-10 - Jesus answered "Aren't there twelve hours in each day?  If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won't stumble.  But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light." ESV

This week during my daughter's bible readings we read John 11:1-16, which is the beginning of the story of Lazarus. Normally after she finishes reading I ask her to tell me what the passage was about.  However, this time I found myself asking her specifically why Jesus said those words in verses 9-10.  To be honest I didn't feel like they really fit in at this point in the story of the death of Lazarus.  However, there they were stuck right in between the talk of Lazarus sickness and Jesus plainly telling his disciples Lazarus was dead.  I admitted to my daughter I did not understand the verses.  She looked at me with a perplexed look and said "well when you walk and you can see you won't fall but when you try to walk in darkness you will."  Now I know this may be stating the obvious but not until the next morning did it strike a cord with me.  During my morning devotions this is what I wrote in my journal:


As surely as there is day, night will inevitably come.  While it is day, and before trouble or conflict arises, let us walk in the light.  During times of "light" we should be feeding our spirits to the full on the love of God.  We should learn how Jesus handled rough spots and hard situations in his life. We need to study Christ's example and allow Holy Spirit to smooth out our rough spots so when darkness comes (and it will) we will not stumble.  We will have his light in us.  I am reminded of a person that is blind.  Even though they are in darkness they can easily navigate through their home.  Also, they are so in tuned with their surroundings that when something is out of place they quickly recognize it.  Why?  It is because they have hidden the map and layout of their home in their mind.  If something is out of order they know it because they know how things are suppose to look.  This is the same with our spiritual walk.  If we slack in building our relationship with the Lord, not using the time we have to learn and trust in him, we will stumble.  Through our ceasing to nurture our relationship with God we may not have the "map" of God's Word in our hearts to even recognize when something is out of place.  How do we not stumble in the night.  For surely as their is day night is bound to come.  We must walk continuously in God's "day" having his light in our hearts. 

How does this fit in with the disciples.  As long as they were with Christ death and darkness would not reign.  They were about to experience one of the most miraculous events in history simply because they were walking with the light.

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