Getting Out of the Dark

 “But somehow he was comforted. It was rather splendid to be wearing a blade made in Gondolin for the goblin-wars of which so many songs had sung; and also he had noticed that such weapons made a great impression on goblins that came upon them suddenly.

“’Go back?’ he thought. ‘No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do!’ So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”
— The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Bilbo Baggins was in over his head. Far from the warm glow of his hobbit hole in the Shire, he was lost in the shadowy depths of the Misty Mountains. His friends were nowhere to be found, and worse, goblins were on his trail. Alone in the dark, he faced a moment of reckoning.

As panic crept in, Bilbo’s hand brushed against the elvish dagger at his side—Sting, a weapon crafted for legendary wars. It wasn’t much, and he was no warrior, but holding it sparked something in him. That small glimmer of courage was enough to push him forward through the suffocating blackness.

Sound familiar? We all have those days—moments when life feels like a cave with no exit. The questions pile up: What now? Where do I turn? Who’s got my back? When everything feels uncertain and overwhelming, Bilbo’s story offers a surprising lifeline.

For Bilbo, Sting wasn’t just a blade—it was a symbol of hope, a tool that unsettled his enemies and steadied his nerves. But the Bible hands us something far sharper and more powerful:

“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12, CSB)

God’s Word cuts deeper than any weapon. It slices through confusion, exposes the enemy’s lies, and lights the way when we’re stumbling in the dark. The more we lean into Scripture—letting it sink into our minds and hearts—the stronger we become to face whatever’s ahead.

With Sting in hand, Bilbo weighed his options. Going back wasn’t possible; the goblins were behind him. Sideways? The cave walls said no. Forward was the only path, so he took it—one shaky step at a time.

The Apostle Paul had a similar mindset:

“Brothers and sisters, I don’t consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 3:13-14, CSB)

Like Bilbo, we can’t rewind time. The past—whether it’s regrets or even a comfortable yesterday—can’t be our anchor. Clinging too hard to what was blinds us to what could be. The only way out is forward, trusting God’s lead.

So, if you find yourself in a dark place—lost, scared, or alone—don’t throw in the towel. Pick up your sword. Open the Bible and let its truth steady you. Then take that next step, wherever He points you.

Bilbo did it. You can too.

Shattered Dreams: Far Too Easily Pleased

Part 4 of 4 in the “Shattered Dreams” Series

“We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

What does God dream for us? If His vision holds the key to true joy, don’t we owe it to ourselves to uncover it? Yet, when our own dreams lie in ruins, how do we even start to see His?

It’s hard to imagine the life God created us to live because, as C. S. Lewis points out, “we are far too easily pleased.”This idea stings because it’s true. We cling to our small, fragile plans—chasing comfort, approval, control—while God holds out something vast and unshakable. Our shattered dreams, painful as they are, might just be the crack that lets His light in.

God doesn’t give us a checklist to decode His will. He’s not a vending machine for truth. History proves He meets us uniquely—molding His call to our quirks and stories. Still, Scripture lights the way. In John 13–17, we find five traits of the life He envisions, a dream that emerges when ours fall apart.

1. Servanthood Over Status

“And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done” (John 13:14–15, NLT).

Jesus, the Lord of all, took a towel and washed grimy feet. He doesn’t want random acts of kindness—He calls us to live as servants. We dream of being catered to; God dreams of us stooping low to lift others up.

2. Love as Our Witness

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my friends” (John 13:34–35, NLT).

Jesus poured love on everyone, but it burned brightest among His disciples. This love starts with the church—our care for each other marks us as His. We dream of being adored; God dreams of us loving fiercely first.

3. Rooted in Jesus

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NLT).

On our own, we’re weak—tripping over our flaws. Jesus says we can’t live God’s dream without Him. Prayer, Scripture, worship, and community tether us to Him, pulling our eyes off ourselves. We dream of self-reliance; God dreams of us abiding in Jesus.

4. Guided by the Spirit

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard” (John 16:13, NLT).

Voices clamor—logic, trends, temptation. Jesus heard them too, rejecting Satan’s deals and the crowd’s crown. We lean toward what’s sensible; God dreams of us tuning our ears to His Spirit.

5. United in Purpose

“My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me, and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me” (John 17:21, NLT).

Jesus’s mission flowed from His oneness with the Father—a unity He prays for us. We’re not meant to be lone rangers. We dream of standing apart; God dreams of us woven together in love and mission.

Shattered dreams sting—no denying it. But as Lewis saw, we’re too easily pleased with mud pies when God offers the sea. That pain can wake us up, exposing the flimsiness of our plans and pointing us to His eternal vision. When we chase God’s dream, we find the joy we’ve been groping for in the dark. Our brokenness isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of something bigger.

What’s one piece of God’s dream stirring in you now that you want to experience? Drop your thoughts—I’d love to hear.

Lessons from the King: True Obedience

A Tale of Two Houses

A few years back, researchers in South Carolina built two identical houses in a lab to test them against hurricane-force winds. One was a standard build—nothing special. The other had reinforcement straps tying every level to its foundation. When they cranked the fans to 110 miles per hour, the standard house held up for a bit—until it didn’t. After ten minutes, it collapsed. The reinforced house? It stood strong, barely scratched. The engineer’s question stuck with me: “Which house would you rather be living in?”

That’s the question Jesus poses at the end of His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:24-29. He’s been teaching us what it means to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven—people who pray for God’s will to break into this world, not just for our own sake, but for His reign. And He wraps it up with a stark picture: two builders, two houses, one storm. The wise builder digs deep, anchoring his house on rock. The foolish one slaps his together on sand. The storm hits both, but only one stands. The difference? Obedience.

Wisdom in Action

Jesus says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (v. 24). Notice that—it’s not just hearing; it’s doing. Wisdom, in the Bible, isn’t about being smart or collecting facts. It’s knowing God and living like it. The wise builder doesn’t just nod at Jesus’ teaching; he lives it. The foolish one? He hears the same words but shrugs—maybe he’s too busy, too distracted, or just doesn’t care. When the rains come, his house crashes down, “and great was the fall of it” (v. 27).

Storms Reveal the Foundation

Here’s what grabs me: both builders face the same storm. Jesus isn’t promising a storm-free life. The “rain and floods and winds” might be the big judgment day—His return—or the everyday trials we all hit: a health scare, a broken relationship, a financial mess. Either way, storms reveal what we’re built on. I’ve seen it in my own life—times I’ve coasted on good intentions or religious habits, only to wobble when pressure mounts. Build on sand—wealth, success, even churchy routines without real obedience—and it won’t hold. Build on the rock of Jesus’ words, lived out, and you’ll stand.

The Authority of the King

What floors me most is Jesus’ authority. The crowd was “astonished” because He taught “as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (v. 29). The scribes leaned on tradition; Jesus spoke as the source of truth. When He says, “these words of mine,” He’s claiming His teaching is the bedrock—God’s own Word. That’s why obedience matters. It’s not about earning points; it’s about loyalty to our King.

Which House Are You In?

So, here’s my pondering for us today: Which house are we living in? It’s easy to hear Jesus’ words—read the Bible, listen to a sermon, agree with it all—but are we doing them? I’m challenged to examine my foundation. Am I just a hearer, or am I anchoring my life to Christ by obeying Him? Maybe you’re there too. If your foundation feels shaky, don’t panic—it’s not about perfection. It’s about intention. Start digging into His Word, ask the Spirit to guide you, and take one step to live it out.

A storm’s coming—maybe not today, but someday. Jesus doesn’t want us to admire His teaching; He wants us to build on it. As citizens of His Kingdom, let’s pledge our loyalty through obedience. Because when the winds blow, I want to be in the house that stands—don’t you?

A Prayer to Build on the Rock

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Jesus, our King. Give us wisdom to not just hear Your Word but do it. Help us build on the rock of His teaching, trusting You more than ourselves. Show us where we’ve settled for sand, and lead us deeper into obedience. Amen.

The headings—“A Tale of Two Houses,” “Wisdom in Action,” “Storms Reveal the Foundation,” “The Authority of the King,” “Which House Are You In?” and “A Prayer to Build on the Rock”—break the post into digestible chunks, guiding readers through the narrative and reflection. They align with the sermon’s flow while making it skimmable for blog readers. Let me know if you’d like any changes!

A Prayer for an Unshakable Foundation

Heavenly Father,

I come before You seeking wisdom and strength, inspired by the words of Your Son, Jesus, who taught the way of true stability. Grant me, O Lord, the grace to not only hear Your holy words but to act upon them with faith and obedience. May I be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock—steadfast and unshaken, even when the rains fall, the rivers rise, and the winds of life blow fiercely against me.

Protect me from the folly of building my life on shifting sand, where fleeting desires and empty promises lead only to ruin. Anchor me, I pray, on the solid foundation of Your truth, Your love, and Your eternal promises, so that no storm may topple me. Let my heart be open to Your teaching, delivered with divine authority, and may I stand in awe of Your wisdom as the crowds once did.

Guide me, Lord, to live wisely and faithfully, trusting in You as my unshakable rock.

In Jesus’ name, I pray,

Amen.