May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:11-14)

    Nine men. Three days. Two hundred forty feet below the surface of the earth. Darkness. Little food to eat. Little water to drink. Nearly drowned. Cold. Trapped. Rescued!

    Nearly all of us have had an experience with overwhelming panic. We were held under the water too long while swimming. We were caught in an elevator when it stopped and the lights went out. We were in a large room without windows and the power went off. We were separated from our child in a strange place.

Their rescue is a powerful reminder of what God has done for us in Jesus.

    No matter our reason for panic, we can certainly “appreciate” the chilling experience of the 9 trapped miners! The hair on the back of our neck stands up and we feel a cold churn in our gut when we think about terms like “trapped,” “buried alive,” and “total darkness.” We are touched by their commitment to stick together no matter the cost. We rejoice at their deliverance from death. It is good news in a year of much bad news.

    Their rescue is a powerful reminder of what God has done for us in Jesus. We’ve been rescued, delivered, and saved! Our trap was just as real. Our darkness was even deeper. Our doom was even more assured. Yet Jesus came down to us, lived among us, and was placed in a darkened tomb. Why? So that when he triumphed over sin and death, we too, could be delivered from the clutches of darkness and brought into the light of salvation. We are rescued!

    We rejoice in the near miraculous rescue of nine miners whose lives seemed lost. Let’s also rejoice at the miraculous deliverance of our lives from a death that is deeper, longer, and more terrifying than a dark and damp mineshaft. We’ve been rescued from the “dominion of darkness.” Not only have we been pulled into the light, but the power of darkness over is gone. God did this when were quite powerless to save ourselves (Romans 5:6-11) and when our outcome was disastrous. (Ephesians 2:1-10) Let’s join the angels of heaven and rejoice at our glorious deliverance from God. (Luke 15)

 

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Title: "Out of the Darkness"
Author: Phil Ware
Publication Date: August 5, 2002