Candle Power

Psalm 18:28 states, “For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”

“Candle power” is a term used to measure the brightness of light. Another term used is “lumen.” Lumen is the smaller measurement. It takes 1,256 lumen to equal one candle power (Google). 

As a young man in the ’70s, I replaced the bright-beam headlights in our Cutlass with aircraft-landing lights. We called them “cow finders.” They lit up the road like daylight. I soon learned they could not be hooked up in my regular light system. They drew so many amps that the breaker shut the power off. When this happened, my vision went from total brightness to total darkness. Luckily, I got stopped without going in the ditch.

David was talking about another kind of darkness and another kind of candle. This darkness was within him. You have probably experienced this kind of darkness at some time. I have many times. This darkness could be a horrible oppression that weighs the soul down to despair. 

I would like us to consider yet another kind of darkness, spiritual darkness—where we cannot see the truth. This darkness can lead us ultimately into outer darkness.

The Apostle Paul, then Saul, had his candle lit on the road to Damascus. God’s light overpowered his spiritual blindness. He was going full speed in the wrong direction. God turned on his “cow finders” and then the lights went out for Saul. He was blind for a few days. When God gave him back his sight, his spiritual blindness was gone. God had enlightened his darkness.

One day in Jerusalem, Jesus gave sight to a blind man. When the Pharisees questioned the man, he responded, “…one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). 

Jesus later said in verse 39, “…For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” Jesus came with His truth, or judgment. He came to settle and make clear any spiritual misunderstandings. The Pharisees were students of the law, God’s law. We, like them, may read or even study the Bible and yet miss the truth. It is easy to read over a number of scriptures and not understand them. Bible scholars don’t fully understand every scripture.

God did not answer all of Daniel’s questions. Daniel 12:8-10 says, “And I heard, but understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” 

This passage gives us great hope. We are near the time of the end that God spoke to Daniel about. He said that in that time there would be some that would understand and some that would not understand. It is not the smart and the stupid, the educated and the uneducated, but the wise and the wicked that are categorized. None of the wicked shall understand. The wise – those who have been purified, made white, and tried – will understand.

David had faith that God would light his candle and enlighten his darkness. Today we have the Holy Spirit, the great Candle Lighter. Holy Spirit, come in all thy Candle Power!