And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
Jude 1:6 NIV
Kept in Darkness
How long does darkness last in Canada’s far north each year? Well, in Alert, Nunavut, the sun set last year on October 14, and polar night didn’t end until this past February 27 – more than four months of darkness. Resolute, also in Nunavut, entered polar night on November 5. Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories doesn’t have a complete polar night, but on its shortest day of the year, December 21, the sun only rises over the horizon briefly – for four hours and twenty-seven minutes.
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We Canadians know what it’s like to live through the long dark days of winter. Now that spring is here, and we are just a couple of months from the day with the most sunlight, we tend to forget those short December days. Those of us who are walking with Jesus are so protected from the darkness that is so much the experience of many in our world who don’t know Him. The Bible speaks of a battle between darkness and light. It is only when those deeds done in darkness come into the light that they lose their power. Jude helps us understand that this battle is at the heart of why Jesus came and that it is a battle that was first fought in the spiritual realm. In Jude 1:6 he says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling – these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” Follower of Jesus, don’t let the darkness drag you back. Jesus has brought you into the light of His grace. By His sustaining grace, stay in that light.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley