Breaking the Chains

FRIDAY January 8

Further Study:

Scientist Arthur Zajonc filled a box with light. But he did it so that none of the light reflected off any internal surface. Inside the box was light, and light alone. Now, if you looked inside, at the light, what would you see? What does light, in and of itself, look like?

Pure darkness, the darkness of empty space, that's what you'd see. Unless reflecting off of something, or unless you stare directly into it, light is invisible.

Zajonc then took a rod and moved it through the darkness of the box. The rod itself, on the side from which the light entered, was illuminated. It looked as if a thin light was shining on just the rod, nothing else, even though light was everywhere in the box (as if filled with water). Only when it reflected off from something (the rod) did it become visible. Otherwise, the light was darkness.

On earth, sunlight pouring down on the sky turns it blue, gray or red, depending upon the weather and time of day. On the moon, no matter how much sunlight pours down, if you looked up you'd see what you'd see in Zajonc's box, pure darkness, the darkness of empty space. And that's because the moon has no atmosphere, no air, no moisture, and none of the gases and fumes that, reflecting sunlight, turn it into the panoply of color that reigns overhead here.

The point? Light, unless reflected off from something, appears as pure darkness.

Discussion Questions:

What spiritual lessons about love might we be able to draw from what was written above about the nature of light? See 1 John 1:5, 2:9-11, 4:8, Luke 11:35.

Think more about this question of loving our enemies. Luke 23:34 says, "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do' " (NKJV). Do you pray for your enemies? It is difficult to have the right attitude toward those who hate us, mistreat us, or persecute us. But praying for our enemies has a way of changing our heart and attitude toward them. When we pray for our persecutors and those who hate us, we will begin to see them as people in need of God's grace just as much as we need it. It will give us the power and the desire to bless them when they curse us and do good to them when they hate us. How can we cultivate the attitude of praying for those whom we would really rather curse?

A person saw someone with a broken-down vehicle. He pulled over, offering to help, and for his trouble was beaten and robbed. "That's it," he said. "I'll never go out of my way to be a good Samaritan again." How would you respond to this person?

Have you ever known people who truly seemed to personify love? What were these people like? What did they do? How was this love manifested? How much personal suffering do you think they endured in order to show the love that they did?

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		I N S I D E Story
		Breaking the Chains Niyara [Nee-YAH-rah] sighed heavily and looked around the gloomy room. She was in a hospital for drug addicts in Central Asia. Only 29, she felt old and tired. She wandered through life with no purpose and no hope. She had liked the feeling of forgetfulness she experienced when someone first gave her drugs, and she quickly became addicted. She lost interest in work and family, and her life spiraled into her own private hell. Her parents took her daughter from her and told her to get out. With no place else to go, she moved in with her addicted friends. She wanted out, but she didn't know how to escape. A man entered the hospital room to visit another patient. Niyara listened as they talked. "God will help you overcome your addictions," the man, Sergey, said. "Ask Him for help and trust Him to deliver you." Niyara wondered if it was true. She didn't know this God Sergey spoke about. What did He think of her and her life? Could He forgive her? Would He help her? Sergey saw her interest and gave her a Bible. She searched it for answers to questions that plagued her and for assurance of forgiveness. Niyara was released from the rehabilitation center and met a woman she knew from her addict days. Niyara was amazed at the change in her and asked what had happened. The woman told her that she had become a Christian and had joined a group of former addicts who met to help one another. "Come with me," she urged. Niyara attended the meetings and found hope that she, too, could truly overcome her addictions. Niyara surrendered her life to Christ. A month later the group's leader left the city and asked Niyara to take over the group. Niyara feared that she couldn't do it. She cried to God for help, and felt an overwhelming love for God and for her fellow addicts. While helping others, she found victory over alcohol and drugs and assured the other women in the group that they, too, could live a sober and happy life. Niyara knew that former addicts need to live away from the temptations of drugs and alcohol, a place where they can find strength and support to reestablish their sober life. But where could she find such a place? Niyara asked God for help, and He is answering her. Niyara has learned that with Christ as the center of her life, life can be beautiful without drugs and alcohol. Today her goal is to help others learn that God is the secret to living a fulfilling life free of drugs. Pray for Niyara and for those seeking freedom from the chains of addiction throughout the world. NIYARA has been baptized and shares her faith in Uzbekistan.
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