God’s Perfect Plan

The Guardian galloped from the Land of Shine into the Land of Shade. Shade was always dark, but where the Guardian went, the light followed.

The Guardian chose a path that led to the darkest cave in the deepest corner of Shade. When he arrived, his light revealed three despicable men.

The Guardian carried three orbs. He took the orbs and gave one to each man.

The first man, out of fear, threw his orb down the deepest cavern. The second man, out of pride, crushed his orb with a stone. The third man, with hope, placed his orb on a stand.

When the Guardian left, darkness consumed the cave once more. The first two men retreated to their depths, but the third man slept near the warmth of his orb. When he awoke, the orb brightened his surroundings and painted a trail of illumination.

The man followed the trail out of the cave and into the open. The path of light carved through Shade, and the man reveled in the beauty that typically hid in the dark.

His journey seemed long and aimless, but it led to where Shade met Shine. The man looked down at his small perimeter of light and then up at the endless light of Shine.

Excitement began to flood his soul, so he ran, but steps away from Shine, he stumbled. The orb slipped from his hands and crashed to the ground. The light dissolved and Shade consumed him once more.

The darkness chilled his skin. His mind raced toward the loneliness he felt in the cave. He clenched his eyes as hopelessness crept in.

Suddenly, a warming sensation touched his forehead. It quickly spread down his face and throughout his body.

He felt a blazing light on his eyelids, and before he could react, he was yanked out of Shade and into the Land of Shine.

He opened his eyes to see every surrounding detail. There wasn’t a single drop of blinding darkness. He spun in wonder until he met the one who had pulled him into the light: The Guardian. • Rafe Emerson Bellers

• Our world is full of darkness because we are all sinners, and sin twists and breaks everything. Where do you see sin and brokenness in yourself and your world?

• Read John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:9-23, and Revelation 21:1-5. Why can we put our hope in Jesus as the only One who can push out the darkness of sin and brokenness? (To learn more, check out our “Know Jesus” page.)

In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:4-5 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Romans 8:28-30