THE TIDE OF DARKNESS
By: Douglas James Heffner, Sr.
Without Faith Men & Women live
in unspoken Fear.
People of faith are guided by
The Light from Jesus.
The Living God who shed
His Blood for our Sins.
When they see Fear they know
the Author is Satan,
The Enemy of all Souls;
The One Jesus defeated in the Grave.
Yes, Christians know Fear,
yet they Fear not,
For they live surrounded by
God's Loving Light.
When the Storms of Life come upon
People of Faith
they Resist Satan's efforts to
Destroy them,
Defeating his Evil attempts to
Quench the Light of Life.
For a moment, think of Life as
a Day at the Beach.
The Sun is bright the Clouds are like
Puff Balls of Cotton.
The Sea is Warm, a Tapestry of
Aquamarine Colors.
The Waves are gently Ebbing
and Flowing upon the Shore.
On days like these People forget
the Dangers lurking close at hand.
They Joyfully frolic in the
Rolling, Crashing, Waves.
Hear them Holler to all
“ Surfs Up! “.
Sunbathers scramble to grab their
Blankets and Beach Chairs.
Grumbling and Complaining, moving
towards the safety of the Dunes.
Others, unaware this Tide is driven
by a Boiling, Raging,
Offshore Storm,
view the incoming Surf
as a Challenge to their Faith.
A Time of Testing,
a Time for "Standing upon The Word".
As Well they Should!
However, my Friends,
Christianity is not "Life at the Beach".
Rather, it is that of a Solider in
The Army of God.
It’s a Serious Matter of:
LIGHT over DARKNESS -
of LIFE over DEATH -
of TRUTH over LIES -
of FAITH over FEAR -
of You and Jesus -
Overcoming The Demons of Hell!
Life is Light, a Gentle Summer Breeze
Upon the face,
Death is DARKNESS,
A Rolling Wave of Pain
Engulfing the Spirit.
The Soul and Spirit seek
The Light.
Death comes like a great
Tidal Wave,
Looming up from an unseen
Raging Storm.
The Body flees from the Roar of
approaching Death.
You know not when,
without Warning,
It will strike!
So my Brothers and Sisters
of Living Flesh,
Take the Word of One
Who Survived
The Tide of Darkness.
One who was Rescued from
the Rolling, Raging,
Angry Wave of Death.
Don’t Play in that dangerous
Raging Surf.
Don’t Show Off For
those on The Shore.
Like those brave People
“Standing on The Word”.
Whose Backs are turned away
from the Raging Storm
And Its TIDE OF DARKNESS!
It brings Waves of Such Force that,
When It Strikes From Behind
It Overwhelms Everyone in Its Path!
Stealing The Breath of Life from Lungs,
Sucking the Sand from Under Foot,
Pulling Each One, Helpless, Out to Sea.
Drowning Them in The Roiling Grasp
Of The TIDE OF DARKNESS!
Oh Yes, Death Will Overcome Even You,
So Hear my words and Rejoice
In the Depths of its Darkness.
Do not let Fear Grip you,
Struggle not, or Flail about,
The Harder you Struggle the
Deeper you Go!
Rather be at Peace, for God
your Father,
Will send His Angels to
Rescue you!
They are The Guardians of
His Flock!
Listen for You will Hear
The Shepherds Voice.
His Angels will bear You Up,
Out of the Depths of Death,
To Carry You to His
Place of Refuge.
There You Will be Safe in the
Embrace of His Love.
In the Warmth and Security of
The Light of Life.
He will hold You Close to Him.
As a helpless Lamb You will be
Secure in His arms!
Gone is the Sound of the
Raging Storm,
Replaced by the Pulsating
Rhythm from Wings of
Innumerable Angels.
The Host of Heaven
surround You,
Hear the Choirs of Heaven Singing!
For you See, my Friend
and my Kin,
GOD LOVES YOU!
IT’S TRUE!
I KNOW IT!
BEYOND A DOUBT!
HOW DO I KNOW?
Because, when I was Dying
In the Tide of Darkness,
THE LIGHT came and Rescued Me!
The Substance of things Hoped for,
The Evidence of things Not Seen,
Is now secure in The Love of
God for Me!
All their Precepts, All their Teaching,
All their Theology, Pale in The Light
of God's Love for You and Me!
His Blood Paid The Price,
His Cross and The Resurrection are
His Personal Guarantee!
