Hares of Martin Top

As I drove to chapel on Sunday night, I was briefly startled by an animal on Howgill Lane. It was like a rabbit, but it had longer ears and stronger, more prominent legs. It was, of course, a hare. I have seen them out and about before, but never so close. In fact, they tend to make me jump. Hiding in the long grass, they suddenly run off (at up to 50mph), setting affright honest walkers. Well this fellow was caught off guard. He slowly strolled off the lane and under a gate into a field, but it must have been a whole ten seconds before he disappeared. Why was he so slow, when the danger (my car) was greater?

He was dazzled by my headlights, of course. Although I dipped them when I saw him, they will still have confused his plans and befuddled his vision. Had I kept driving, his wintry wanderings would have ceased forthwith. The light, ironically, offered more danger than the darkness.

Might we draw some lessons here? The God of light whom we serve often conceals His splendour, and that of His messengers, lest we mortals be ill-affected thereby. Isaiah came close to panic when He beheld Christ gloriously enthroned. Likewise, the Lord bethought Paul well served by a thorn in the flesh after his exceeding revelations. Satan himself beguiles the unwary with light, a messenger of which he appears to be. And let us not forget the ‘new light’ which the cults and crooks claim to receive when their murky doctrines be exposed.

I may only have a little light in my life, no more than God’s word, the Bible, affords, but it is light enough, for now.

I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3

Image by barmanCZ from Pixabay