The more into the Vacation Bible School week I got, the more I started realizing that message was so on point. With all the tragedy and disaster going on in the world, this message hit me right to the core. It is almost too easy to dwell on the darkness and become consumed by it. It’s also real easy to live in fear and stay in the darkness. But the theme was Cave Quest and the message was right on the money. Lord, no matter how dark the cave seems, we have Your light. John 8:12 says Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The Bible tells us so many times that You are light. 1 John 1:5 says And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. None. There is no darkness at all in You. Sometimes that is such a hard concept for me to realize because there is light and dark battling in all of us. I’m not gonna lie, I let the darkness win more than I would like to admit. But Isaiah 42:16 says I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone. Lord, only You can turn darkness into light. Only through You will our rough places be made smooth.
For VBS, I did the Imagination Station with Sciency-Fun Gizmos. Each day had a theme, verse, and activity.
Day 1: “Jesus gives us hope.” Psalm 71:5 O Lord, You alone are my hope. For the first night we hit rocks with hammers to find shiny crystals inside. “Just as the geodes contained something surprising and amazing inside, we can have the amazing hope of Jesus inside us, no matter what’s happening in our lives. Sometimes we may feel like we’re in a dark cave and can’t find our way out. Or we may feel like we’re just some ordinary, old rock with nothing special about us. But because of Jesus, we can have real hope! And hope from Jesus is amazing and surprising.”
Day 2: “Jesus gives us courage.” Matthew 14:27 Take courage, I am here. This time we took green powder and water, shook it all up, created a storm inside, and made slimy cave snot. “When we connect with Jesus, He gives us the strength and courage to face any situation. He can use even the hard times-the storms in our lives-to change us and give us courage.”
Day 3: “Jesus gives us direction.” Proverbs 3:6 He will show you which path to take. For this one we made a compass. The demonstration before the craft was drawing a line from birth to what they want to be when they grow up. Then we created what if scenarios and drew different lines and loops and destinations to show how sometimes our paths change. “Jesus has a plan for our lives and Jesus gives us direction to make that plan happen. There may be lots of curves and twists along the way, but the end design is beautiful because we’re following Jesus. Each person’s design is unique and different-just like each person’s life is unique and different.”
Day 4: “Jesus gives us love.” 1 John 3:16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. We used flicker fliers and attempted to fly them through a hula hoop. “I try to obey Jesus in my life. But sometimes-lots of times-I miss the mark. I mess up. I do the wrong thing, and I sin. Just like the flier missed its target. But because Jesus gives us love. I can be forgiven. And so can you. Jesus loves you. He wants a relationship with you. He knows you’ll miss the mark lots of times in your life. But he loves you so much that he was willing to make a way for you to be forgiven. That’s amazing love.”
Day 5: “Jesus gives us His power.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 Our great power is from God, not from ourselves. This was the last night and we used flashlights to show power. My favorite part was watching the kids dance around the room, making a light show and singing This Little Light of Mine. “The battery is the source of power. Without it, the flashlight won’t work. Jesus is our source of power, because Jesus gives us His power. His power can live inside of us, just like the battery ‘lives’ inside the flashlight.”
Lord, You give us hope, courage, direction, love, and Your power. When the darkness surrounds us we can turn to You and see the light. Psalm 119:105 says Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. When the cave starts to crumble and we feel unsteady, we can turn to You.
So, that is my prayer today. I pray for those that have lost loved ones. I pray for those affected by these tragedies. I pray that you give them hope, courage, direction, love and your power. I pray that while they feel unsteady, you remind them that you are steady. Thank you Lord for being the rock on which I stand. Thank you Lord for remaining strong and firm and never moving and never wavering. I pray that parents hug their kids a little tighter. I pray that the church shines your light. I pray that I remember to use the tools you gave us. Thank you for turning darkness into light. Thank you for making the rough places smooth. Thank you for holding all of us. And as always I pray for my family and sorority sisters. I pray for my university. I pray for guidance for our government, church, and school leaders. I pray for protection for our troops. I pray for all of those that need you now and for those that haven’t met you yet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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