Take a Flashlight

Proverbs 6:20-23 

When I lived in Chicago, I was a student. I also had a job as an apartment maintenance man. My boss owned various apartments around Chicago. Many of them were built as single dwelling homes that had been turned into small apartments. 

One winter night I got a call late at night that the furnace in one of the apartments had stopped working. That couldn’t wait until morning, so I headed over to check it out. The furnace was in the basement which had to be accessed from the alley. It was pitch black out and more than a little sketchy in the alley. 

I had to go down a flight of steps to reach the basement door. It was hard to see in the darkness, but I could make out that the basement door had been kicked open. Not good. As I began to go down the dark steps to the basement, I stepped on what appeared to be a body. Then the body moaned. 

Keep in mind this was the late 70’s. There were no cell phones. It was way too late at night to wake someone up to use the phone so what to do? I needed to get to the light switch which was a ways into the basement. So, I maneuvered my way around the body and into the basement. I wasn’t sure at that point if there was someone hiding in the basement or not so I took a nearby trash can lid and put it over my head as my shield. Then I made my way to the light switch.  Let’s just say at that point I was wide awake.

When I finally turned on the lights it all made sense. The body on the stairs was a homeless man from the alley. He was drunk and had fallen down the stairs. When he hit the bottom, he crashed into the basement door breaking it open. The wind then had blown the pilot light on the furnace out.

As soon as the light came on the man came to life, crawled up the steps and fled down the alley. I relit the pilot light, fixed the door, and went back home to bed. Just another night in the life of a Chicago apartment maintenance man. The next day I bought a flashlight.

News flash! Light is very helpful. Especially when the darkness is filled with things that go bump in the night. Light is a common imagery in the Bible. Often in the poetic books it refers to God’s truth. The Psalmist says, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The Proverbs agree: For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.

But here’s the practical reality. A flashlight is really of no value unless you have it with you. When I lived in Chicago, they sold flashlights all over town. Were they hard to get? No. Were they expensive? No. Did I have one when I needed one? No. 

Skillful living requires we carry a flashlight. The world has become a very dark place. Where do we find the light? My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.

In the proverb, the mother and father are teaching the son how to live skillfully. The imagery is clear, you must always have the teachings of God’s Word with you. Bind them on your heart; tie them around your neck. In other words, you need to learn and understand the truth. Take it with you. This is your flashlight to keep you from unnecessary harm.

It’s not enough to be exposed to the Word. We have to do better than simply agree on the truth. It must become part of you. It must be in your heart. Tattoo it on your brain. It must become the grid through which you determine right and wrong. It has to be the lens through which you view the rest of the world. Remember we’ve been warned previously, do not lean on your own understanding.

I talk to a lot of people who have made very bad choices. Choices have consequences and sometimes they can be devastating. In almost every case God’s wisdom should have equipped them to make a better choice. But guess what? They weren’t prepared. The flashlight was home in a drawer somewhere, so they stumbled in the darkness and made poor choices. 

The Proverb uses the imagery of parents equipping their son to navigate life in the darkness. So, imagine God as the parent and you are the son. 

Son, why did you make such a foolish decision?

Sorry Dad, it was just so dark out there.

Didn’t I give you a flashlight so you could see in the darkness?

Well yeah.

Why didn’t you use it?

Well, I guess I kind of left it in the drawer at home.

It’s interesting how often we blame God for our messes as if it were His fault. The next time you are tempted to blame God imagine Him asking, didn’t I give you a flashlight so you could see in the dark?  God has done His part. We are not left in the darkness. We need to pull the flashlight out of the drawer and make sure it is with us at all times. Bind it. Tie it. Learn the teachings so when you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.