Mike, Brian and Jeff were pals, as well as cousins. It was a real treat for Brian and Jeff, who were city boys, to spend part of each summer at Mike’s house in the country outside Albany, New York. They had many adventures together as they grew up. Mike was older than either of the other boys, and he knew where there were secret spots in the woods where they played together for hours. He knew where the fishing was good, where there were old Indian trails, and where there were neat caves that boys their age could safely explore. Mike was a great storyteller, so when it rained and they had to stay indoors, the boys would go up in the attic, and Mike would tell them about his adventures and the mysteries he had discovered exploring Hale’s Cave in Thatcher Park in the Helderberg Mountains.
At last, Mike’s mother felt the boys were old enough to explore the cave on their own. They packed a lunch, a flashlight and some matches. Then Uncle Tim drove them out to the Helderbergs. The boys were excited about exploring the cave, although Jeff, who was the youngest, almost changed his mind when they peered into the darkness and a bat suddenly swooped out of the cave, scaring them all a little.
It was fun, though, exploring the cave. After they had gone in quite a distance, Mike suddenly turned off the flashlight. The three boys now were in the blackest darkness they had ever experienced. Mike pretended he could not get the flashlight to turn on again, and Brian and Jeff were really frightened. Jeff was glad the others could not see him, as there were tears in his eyes. What if they had to try to find their way out in the dark? Would they have to wait for Uncle Tim to miss them and come in with a rescue party?
The awfulness of being in darkness for all eternity suddenly became very real to them. What a relief it was when Mike switched on the flashlight, and the boys were once again able to see their way through the passageways! How good the sunlight looked as they came to the mouth of the cave!
Afterwards, all three boys talked about how terrible it would be to be cast by God into what the Bible calls “outer darkness,” to be in the “blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 1313Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude 13)). How glad they were that God in love had sent His Son, Jesus, to be punished for their sins on the cross of Calvary. They would never have to know how awful the “outer darkness” of hell was, because they each had accepted Jesus as their Saviour.
Simply confessing to God that we are sinners and deserve to be shut out from God’s presence, and receiving the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, we pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:88For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:8)).
Are you facing an eternity of darkness or of light?
ML-05/26/1996