Journey 7 — When the Light Grows Dim
There are seasons when God seems farther away, but that does not mean He has left us.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, there were times when Caleb’s lantern burned brightly and the road seemed clear. But there were other times when the darkness felt closer, the King’s voice seemed quieter, and Caleb had to continue walking with the light he had.
Our walk with Christ can have seasons like that too.
Sometimes prayer comes easily, worship rises naturally, and God’s presence seems very near. At other times, we may pray, read His Word, and worship without feeling what we once felt.
James 4:8 NKJV gives us this simple invitation:
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
In Journey 7, we look at what to do when the light seems dim—examining our hearts, returning to what we know is true, remembering God’s faithfulness, and continuing to walk even when our feelings are quiet.
A cloudy day does not mean the sun has stopped shining.
And a quiet season does not mean God has stopped being faithful.
Keep walking. The King is faithful.
🏮 Jesus Christ is still the Light.
Listen To Journey 7
Walking in the Light
Journey 7 — When the Light Grows Dim
Drawing Near When God Seems Far Away
Key Scripture — James 4:8 NKJV
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
There were times in The King's Lantern when Caleb's lantern burned brightly.
The road was clear enough to follow.
The King's direction seemed certain.
Caleb knew where he was going.
But there were other times when everything seemed different.
The darkness felt closer.
The road became harder to see.
The King's voice seemed quieter.
And Caleb had to continue walking with the light he had.
Our walk with Christ can have seasons like that too.
There are times when God's presence seems very near. Prayer comes easily. His Word seems alive every time we open it. Worship rises naturally from our hearts.
Then there may be seasons when the light seems to grow dim.
We pray, but we do not feel what we once felt.
We read Scripture, but nothing seems to jump off the page.
We worship, but our emotions do not follow.
And sometimes we quietly wonder,
“Lord, where are You?”
God Has Not Moved
Our feelings are real, but they are not always reliable measures of God's presence.
Hebrews 13:5 NKJV reminds us,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God's faithfulness does not depend upon whether we feel His presence today.
Think about walking outside on a cloudy day.
The sun may disappear behind the clouds.
The temperature may change.
The world may suddenly look gray.
But the sun has not stopped shining.
Something has simply come between our eyes and the light.
There may be times in our spiritual lives when circumstances, disappointment, weariness, distraction, or even sin makes God's presence harder for us to recognize.
But before we conclude that God has abandoned us, remember His promise.
He has not left.
Check the Lantern
When a lamp begins to grow dim, it is worth asking why.
The same is true spiritually.
Sometimes the answer may be simple.
Have I stopped spending meaningful time in God's Word?
Has prayer become something I only do when I need something?
Have other things slowly taken the place that belonged to God?
Is there something He has been asking me to surrender?
Is there sin I have been excusing rather than confessing?
Psalm 139:23–24 NKJV gives us a beautiful prayer.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”
We do not examine our hearts so we can condemn ourselves.
We invite God to show us anything that is interfering with our fellowship with Him.
And if He reveals something, we respond.
We confess.
We surrender.
We turn back toward Him.
Sometimes Nothing Is Wrong
But we need to say something else just as clearly.
Not every quiet season means you have done something wrong.
There were faithful people throughout Scripture who experienced seasons of waiting and questions.
David cried out to God.
Job struggled to understand what was happening.
The disciples experienced fear and uncertainty.
Even faithful believers sometimes walk through valleys.
Psalm 42:11 NKJV says,
“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him…”
Notice what the psalmist does.
He acknowledges what he is feeling.
But he does not allow the feeling to determine what he believes.
“Hope in God.”
Sometimes faith means worshiping God because He is worthy even when our emotions are quiet.
Return to What You Know
When Caleb could not see very far ahead, he had to remember what he already knew about the King.
We need to do the same.
When God seems quiet, return to what He has already said.
God loves you.
Jesus died for you.
Christ rose again.
Your sins are forgiven when you come to Him in faith and repentance.
The Holy Spirit is with those who belong to Christ.
God's Word is true.
His promises have not changed.
His character has not changed.
And Jesus Christ has not changed.
Hebrews 13:8 NKJV says,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
When feelings change, truth remains.
Keep Doing the Simple Things
Sometimes we search for a dramatic answer when God is calling us back to simple faithfulness.
Open His Word.
Pray.
Worship.
Gather with other believers.
Serve someone.
Give thanks.
Confess what needs confessing.
Forgive what needs forgiving.
And keep walking.
You may not feel something extraordinary every day.
That is all right.
A marriage is not sustained only by extraordinary moments.
A friendship is not built only through emotional experiences.
Relationships grow through faithfulness.
Our relationship with God is not based upon emotion alone either.
There are mountaintops.
There are valleys.
And there are many ordinary days of simply walking with Him.
Keep walking.
Remember What God Has Done
When the present feels uncertain, remembering God's past faithfulness can strengthen us.
David did this repeatedly in the Psalms.
He remembered what God had done.
Israel was repeatedly told to remember how God had delivered them.
And we should remember too.
Think about the prayers God has answered.
The doors He has opened.
The times He provided when you did not know how provision would come.
The times His Word spoke exactly what you needed.
The times He carried you through something you thought you could never endure.
Those memories become markers along the road.
They remind us,
The God who was faithful then is still faithful now.
Draw Near Again
James 4:8 gives us a wonderfully simple invitation.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Maybe you have wandered.
Come back.
Maybe you have become distracted.
Turn your attention toward Him again.
Maybe your heart has grown cold.
Ask Him to rekindle it.
Maybe you have been hurt.
Bring the hurt to Him.
Maybe you are simply tired.
Rest in His presence.
You do not have to manufacture some great spiritual experience.
Just come.
Jesus still receives those who come to Him.
The Flame Can Burn Brightly Again
A dim flame is not necessarily a dead flame.
Sometimes it needs fuel.
Sometimes it needs protection from the wind.
Sometimes it simply needs attention.
Paul told Timothy in Second Timothy 1:6 NKJV,
“stir up the gift of God which is in you…”
There are times when we need to stir up what God has placed within us.
Return to His Word.
Return to prayer.
Return to worship.
Return to fellowship.
Return to obedience.
Not as religious duties performed to earn God's favor.
But as ways of turning our hearts toward the One we love.
And slowly, sometimes almost without noticing,
the light begins to seem brighter again.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Perhaps you are in a season right now when God seems very near.
Thank Him.
Enjoy His presence.
And remember what you are learning.
Because there may come a day when you need those memories.
Or perhaps you are in a quieter season.
You are still following Jesus, but something does not feel the same.
Do not panic.
Do not assume God has abandoned you.
Check your heart.
Listen to His Word.
If He shows you something that needs changing, respond.
But if you find yourself simply walking through a valley,
keep walking.
The King is still King when the road is bright.
And He is still King when the road is dark.
The light may seem dim from where you are standing.
But Jesus has not stopped being the Light.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that Your faithfulness does not change with our feelings.
There are times when You seem very near and times when the road feels quiet and uncertain.
When something in our lives has come between us and You, show us.
Search our hearts and lead us back into obedience.
When we have become distracted, turn our attention toward You again.
When we are tired, strengthen us.
When we are discouraged, remind us of Your faithfulness.
And when we simply cannot feel Your presence, help us trust what You have already said.
Teach us to draw near to You.
Rekindle our love for Your Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with You.
And remind us that even when the flame seems small,
Jesus Christ is still the Light of the world.
Help us keep walking.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 8 — When You Cannot Carry the Lantern Alone
God never intended the Christian journey to be walked in isolation.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 8 — When You Cannot Carry the Lantern Alone
God never intended you to walk the journey by yourself.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb learned that following the King required a personal decision. No one else could choose faith for him, trust the King for him, or walk in obedience for him.
But Caleb also discovered something equally important.
A personal journey of faith does not have to be a lonely journey.
God places people along our road who encourage us, pray with us, speak truth to us, and sometimes help carry us when our own strength is small.
Galatians 6:2 NKJV says:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
In Journey 8, we look at the importance of walking together as the body of Christ. There are times when we need the strength of another believer—and there are times when God calls us to be that strength for someone else.
Even Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms when he became tired.
Needing help is not the end of the journey.
Sometimes it is simply the moment when God reminds us that we were never supposed to make the journey alone.
Look around you.
Someone may need encouragement today.
Someone may need prayer.
Someone may simply need to know that they are not walking alone.
And someday, that person may be you.
Sometimes we carry the lantern. Sometimes someone helps us carry it.
🏮 We walk together.
Listen To Journey 8
Walking in the Light
Journey 8 — When You Cannot Carry the Lantern Alone
God Never Intended You to Walk the Journey by Yourself
Key Scripture — Galatians 6:2 NKJV
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
There were moments in The King’s Lantern when Caleb had to make decisions for himself.
No one else could choose whether he would trust the King.
No one else could choose whether he would obey.
No one else could take his place on the journey.
But that did not mean Caleb was meant to make the entire journey alone.
Along the road, God placed people beside him.
Some encouraged him.
Some warned him.
Some taught him.
Some stood beside him when the battle became difficult.
And sometimes, when Caleb was weak, someone else was strong enough to help him keep going.
There is an important truth in that for us.
Our faith in Jesus Christ is personal, but the Christian life was never intended to be lived alone.
Sometimes we need someone to help us carry the lantern.
We Need One Another
From the beginning, God created us for relationship.
And when the church was born, believers did not simply accept Christ and then disappear into their separate lives.
Acts 2:42 NKJV says:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
They learned together.
They prayed together.
They ate together.
They worshiped together.
They walked through life together.
God knew there would be days when one believer would be strong and another would be struggling.
Then perhaps later, those roles would reverse.
That is part of being the body of Christ.
We need one another.
Some Burdens Become Too Heavy
Most of us like being able to handle things ourselves.
We do not want to bother anyone.
We tell ourselves:
“I can manage.”
And often we can.
But sometimes a burden becomes heavier than we were meant to carry alone.
Grief.
Discouragement.
Fear.
Family difficulties.
Financial pressure.
A spiritual struggle.
A season of uncertainty.
Galatians 6:2 tells us:
“Bear one another’s burdens.”
For someone else to help carry a burden, however, we sometimes have to be willing to admit that there is a burden.
That can be difficult.
It requires humility to say:
“I could use some help.”
“Would you pray with me?”
“I am having a difficult time.”
There is no shame in needing another believer beside you.
That is one of the reasons God gave us one another.
Even Moses Needed Help
Moses was a remarkable leader.
God used him to confront Pharaoh, lead Israel out of Egypt, and guide His people through the wilderness.
But even Moses reached a point when he could not do everything himself.
In Exodus 17, Israel was fighting Amalek.
As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed.
But Moses became tired.
Exodus 17:12 NKJV says:
“But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side…”
Moses did not stop being God's chosen leader because his arms became tired.
He was human.
And God provided Aaron and Hur to stand beside him.
Sometimes faith looks like standing strong.
And sometimes faith looks like allowing someone else to hold up your arms.
Who Holds Up Your Arms?
Every believer needs people who can speak truth into their life.
People who will pray.
People who will encourage.
People who will tell us the truth even when it is not what we want to hear.
People who will remind us of God's faithfulness when we have difficulty seeing it ourselves.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 NKJV says:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.”
That raises an important question.
Who would you call if your faith was struggling today?
Do you have someone who would pray with you?
Someone who knows you well enough to recognize when something is wrong?
Someone who loves Jesus and will point you toward Him?
If not, perhaps one of the next steps on your journey is to begin building those relationships.
The Church Is More Than a Building
Sometimes we think of church primarily as somewhere we go.
But Scripture describes the church as something we are.
First Corinthians 12:27 NKJV says:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”
A body has many different parts.
Each part has a purpose.
And the parts need one another.
The hand cannot decide it has no need of the arm.
The eye cannot decide it has no need of the ear.
In the same way, Christianity was never designed as:
Jesus and me, and nobody else.
We belong to Christ.
And because we belong to Christ, we also belong to His body.
Church is where we worship together, learn together, serve together, encourage one another, and sometimes help carry one another through very difficult seasons.
Carrying Someone Else's Lantern
There is another side to this teaching.
Sometimes you are the one who is strong enough to help.
Perhaps someone around you is tired.
Their faith has been shaken.
Their family is going through something difficult.
They are grieving.
They are discouraged.
Or perhaps they simply need someone to listen.
Romans 12:15 NKJV says:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
Sometimes helping does not mean fixing the problem.
Sometimes there is nothing we can fix.
But we can be there.
We can listen.
We can pray.
We can encourage.
We can remind them that they are not alone.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can give another believer is simply our presence.
Do Not Walk Away When Someone Stumbles
Walking together can also become uncomfortable.
People make mistakes.
Christians disappoint one another.
Someone may stumble spiritually.
Our first reaction should not always be to walk away.
Galatians 6:1 NKJV tells believers that if someone is overtaken in a fault, those who are spiritual should restore that person “in a spirit of gentleness.”
Restoration matters.
Grace matters.
Truth matters.
We do not ignore sin.
But neither do we throw wounded people away.
If someone has fallen along the road, perhaps God wants to use us to help them stand again.
Jesus Sent Them Together
When Jesus sent His disciples out to minister, there were times He sent them two by two.
There is wisdom in that.
One can encourage the other.
One may notice something the other misses.
When one grows tired, the other can strengthen them.
And together they can accomplish something neither might have accomplished alone.
That principle still matters.
There will certainly be moments when we must stand alone in obedience to God.
But standing alone for truth is different from choosing isolation.
God has given us the body of Christ for a reason.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Perhaps you have been trying to carry something alone.
Nobody knows.
You smile.
You say you are fine.
You keep moving.
But the lantern is getting heavy.
Maybe today God is reminding you:
You do not have to carry everything by yourself.
Ask someone to pray with you.
Talk to a trusted believer.
Allow someone to stand beside you.
Or perhaps you are doing well today.
Then look around.
Whose arms are getting tired?
Who needs encouragement?
Who needs prayer?
Who needs someone simply to sit beside them for a while?
Sometimes we carry the lantern.
Sometimes someone helps us carry it.
And sometimes God allows us the privilege of helping carry it for someone else.
That is part of the beauty of the body of Christ.
We walk together.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that You never intended us to walk this journey alone.
Thank You for the people You place beside us to encourage us, pray for us, teach us, and help us when our strength is small.
Give us humility when we need to ask for help.
Keep us from hiding our burdens simply because we are afraid of appearing weak.
Help us build relationships with believers who will speak truth, pray faithfully, and point us toward You.
And Lord, open our eyes to the people around us.
Show us when someone else's arms are becoming tired.
Teach us to listen.
Teach us to encourage.
Teach us to bear one another's burdens with grace and compassion.
May Your church truly be a family where the wounded are restored, the weary are strengthened, and no one has to walk the road alone.
And through it all, remind us that You are always walking with us.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 9 — When the Road Leads Through the Valley
Following the King does not mean every road avoids the valley. Sometimes He leads us safely through it.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 9 — The Forgotten Are Remembered
The Kingdom sees those the world overlooks.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb encountered people who had been overlooked, wounded, rejected, or forgotten. Some had lived without hope for so long that they had begun to believe nobody was coming for them.
But the King had not forgotten them.
Jesus showed us the same heart throughout His ministry. He stopped for people others passed by. He welcomed those others rejected. He saw beyond the crowd and noticed the individual.
Luke 15:4 NKJV reminds us of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one who is lost.
Because to the Shepherd, one matters.
In Journey 9, we look at what it means to see people through the eyes of Christ—to notice the lonely, encourage the hurting, remember those who have slipped from view, and remind them that they are not forgotten.
Sometimes ministry begins with something very simple.
A phone call.
A visit.
A prayer.
A listening ear.
A willingness to notice.
And perhaps today there is someone God wants to bring across your path—or simply bring to your mind.
The world may overlook them. The King does not.
And when we walk with the King, we learn to see them too.
🏮 You have not been forgotten.
Listen To Journey 9
Listen To Journey 9
Walking in the Light
Journey 9 — The Forgotten Are Remembered
The Kingdom Sees Those the World Overlooks
Key Scripture — Luke 15:4–6 NKJV
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb encountered people who had been forgotten.
Some had been overlooked.
Some had been wounded.
Some had lost hope.
Others had lived in darkness for so long that they had begun to believe nobody was coming for them.
But the King had not forgotten them.
That is one of the beautiful truths behind Caleb's journey.
The Kingdom sees people the world overlooks.
And that points us toward something even greater about our God.
God Sees the One
Jesus told a story about a shepherd who had one hundred sheep.
One wandered away.
Ninety-nine remained.
From a human point of view, ninety-nine out of one hundred might sound pretty successful.
But that was not how the shepherd saw it.
One was missing.
And because one was missing, the shepherd went looking.
That tells us something about the heart of God.
People are not statistics to Him.
They are not numbers in a crowd.
God sees individuals.
He sees the person sitting alone.
He sees the person everyone else walks past.
He sees the person who believes nobody would notice if they disappeared from the crowd.
God sees the one.
Jesus Noticed People Others Ignored
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly stopped for people others overlooked.
He touched those others avoided.
He spoke with people others rejected.
He welcomed children when His own disciples tried to send them away.
He ate with people religious society considered unworthy.
He stopped when a blind man cried out from the roadside.
He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well.
Jesus was never too busy for the person standing in front of Him.
Matthew 9:36 NKJV says:
“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
Jesus did not simply see people.
He saw what was happening inside them.
And He was moved with compassion.
The Forgotten May Be Closer Than We Think
When we hear the word forgotten, we may picture someone far away.
But sometimes the forgotten person is very close.
It may be an elderly person who rarely receives a visitor.
A widow or widower learning to live with an empty chair at the table.
Someone who has stopped attending church and nobody has called.
A young person who feels invisible in a crowded room.
Someone whose life has fallen apart and who assumes Christians no longer want anything to do with them.
Or simply someone who is lonely.
We can walk past people every day without really seeing them.
Jesus teaches us to look again.
“You Did It to Me”
In Matthew 25, Jesus described people who were hungry, thirsty, strangers, without clothing, sick, and imprisoned.
Then He said something remarkable.
Matthew 25:40 NKJV says:
“Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
That changes how we look at serving others.
The meal matters.
The visit matters.
The phone call matters.
The encouragement matters.
The prayer matters.
The simple act of noticing someone matters.
We may think we are doing something small.
Jesus sees it differently.
Sometimes People Feel Forgotten by God
There is another kind of forgottenness.
Sometimes people begin to wonder whether God Himself has forgotten them.
A prayer has gone unanswered for a long time.
A difficult season continues.
Someone they love is gone.
The future has not unfolded the way they expected.
And quietly they wonder,
“God, do You still see me?”
Psalm 34:18 NKJV gives a beautiful answer.
“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
God is not frightened by broken hearts.
He does not avoid hurting people.
He draws near.
We may not always understand what He is doing.
We may not receive the answer when we want it.
But silence does not mean God has forgotten our name.
Remember Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus was not necessarily forgotten because nobody knew who he was.
People knew him.
They simply did not like him.
He was a tax collector, and the crowd had already decided what kind of man he was.
But Jesus looked up into the tree and called him by name.
“Zacchaeus.”
Think about that.
The crowd saw a sinner.
Jesus saw a man He had come to reach.
Luke 19:10 NKJV says:
“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus did not wait for lost people to somehow find their own way home.
He came looking for them.
The Church Should Be a Place Where People Are Seen
If this is the heart of Jesus, it should become the heart of His people.
Church should not be a place where someone can disappear into the crowd and remain invisible.
We should notice.
Who has not been here lately?
Who is sitting alone?
Who seems unusually quiet?
Who needs encouragement?
Who needs someone to remember their name?
Sometimes ministry begins with something as simple as paying attention.
We may never stand behind a pulpit.
We may never travel across the world as missionaries.
But every one of us can ask God:
“Lord, who are You asking me to notice?”
And then we can look.
Remembering Someone Can Be Simple
We sometimes hesitate because we think helping someone requires having the perfect words.
It usually does not.
A phone call can say,
“I remembered you.”
A visit can say,
“You matter.”
A meal can say,
“You are not alone.”
A prayer can say,
“I will stand with you.”
And listening can say,
“Your story matters enough for me to hear it.”
Those things may seem small.
But to someone who feels forgotten, they can become a very bright light.
The Gospel Is God's Greatest Act of Remembering Us
Ultimately, this teaching brings us back to Jesus.
All of us were lost in sin.
Romans 5:8 says.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God did not look at a broken world and turn away.
He came to us.
Jesus entered our world.
He carried our sin to the cross.
He died in our place.
And He rose again.
The gospel tells us something extraordinary.
God did not forget us.
And because He remembered us with such great love, we can carry that love toward others.
Where Are You on the Journey?
There are two questions for us today.
First,
Do you feel forgotten?
Maybe people have overlooked you.
Maybe circumstances have left you feeling alone.
Maybe you have even wondered whether God still sees you.
He does.
The Shepherd knows when one sheep is missing.
Jesus knows your name.
And the God who sees you has not forgotten you.
But there is another question.
Who have you forgotten?
Is there someone God has been bringing to your mind?
Someone you have not called?
Someone who has slowly disappeared from your life?
Someone sitting on the edge of the crowd?
Perhaps God is not asking you to do something complicated.
Maybe He is simply asking you to notice.
To call.
To listen.
To pray.
To visit.
To remind someone,
“You have not been forgotten.”
The Kingdom sees people the world overlooks.
And when we walk with the King,
we learn to see them too.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that You see every person.
Thank You that no one is invisible to You.
Thank You that when we were lost, You came looking for us.
Open our eyes to people we have overlooked.
Give us Your compassion for the lonely, the hurting, the rejected, and those who feel forgotten.
Show us the person who needs a phone call, a prayer, a visit, or simply someone willing to listen.
And when we are the ones who feel forgotten, remind us that You know our names.
Help us trust Your faithfulness even when circumstances make us feel alone.
May Your church be a place where people are noticed, loved, restored, and welcomed.
And as we carry Your light, teach us to see people the way You see them.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 10 — Mercy for the Enemy
That's where Malgor gives us an especially strong bridge into grace, forgiveness, and the Gospel. 🏮✝️
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 10 — Mercy for the Enemy
The grace we received is the grace we are called to give.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Malgor stood as an enemy—opposing the King, bringing harm to others, and choosing a path of darkness.
Yet his story did not end simply with defeat.
Malgor encountered mercy.
Not because his actions did not matter. Not because wrong suddenly became right. And certainly not because he had earned it.
His story points us toward one of the most powerful truths of the Gospel:
We needed mercy too.
Romans 5:8 NKJV says:
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus did not wait until we deserved His grace. He came to rescue us while we were still lost in sin.
In Journey 10, we look at both sides of mercy—the amazing grace God has shown us through Jesus Christ and the difficult call to extend mercy even toward those who have hurt us.
Forgiveness does not mean calling darkness light.
It does not mean pretending the hurt never happened.
But it does mean refusing to allow another person's darkness to become darkness within us.
The cross reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus.
Not our enemy.
Not the person who has failed terribly.
And not us.
🏮 Darkness does not defeat darkness. Light does.
Listen To Journey 10
Walking in the Light
Journey 10 — Mercy for the Enemy
The Grace We Received Is the Grace We Are Called to Give
Key Scripture — Romans 5:8–10 NKJV
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Malgor was Caleb's enemy.
Throughout The King's Lantern, he represented danger, opposition, and darkness. He made choices that hurt others. He resisted the King and fought against what the King was doing.
It would have been easy to look at Malgor and see only one thing.
The enemy.
But something remarkable happens in his story.
Malgor encounters mercy.
Not because his actions did not matter.
Not because evil suddenly became acceptable.
And not because he had earned another chance.
He encountered mercy because mercy is part of the heart of the King.
That gives us a powerful picture of something at the very center of the Gospel.
Because before we begin talking about showing mercy to our enemies, we need to remember something.
We needed mercy too.
While We Were Still Sinners
Romans 5:8 says something extraordinary.
Christ did not wait for us to become worthy before He died for us.
He did not wait until we had cleaned up our lives.
He did not wait until we had earned His attention.
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
And Romans 5:10 goes even further.
“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…”
There is that word.
Enemies.
It is easy to read a story and identify the enemy.
Malgor looks like the enemy.
But Scripture turns the mirror toward us.
Sin separated us from God.
We could not repair that separation ourselves.
We needed reconciliation.
And God did something we could never have done for ourselves.
He came to us.
Jesus Christ took our sin upon Himself.
He died on the cross.
He rose again.
And through Him, reconciliation with God became possible.
The Gospel is not the story of good people finally becoming good enough for God.
It is the story of a merciful God rescuing sinners.
Mercy Does Not Call Darkness Light
This is important.
Mercy does not mean pretending wrong is right.
God never asks us to rename sin so that nobody feels uncomfortable.
Truth still matters.
Right and wrong still matter.
Consequences still matter.
Repentance matters.
Malgor needed mercy precisely because there was something from which he needed to turn.
The same is true for us.
First John 1:9 NKJV says:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Grace does not tell us:
“Stay exactly where you are.”
Grace invites us:
“Come to Jesus.”
He forgives.
He cleanses.
He changes hearts.
And He leads us into a new life.
Rich in Mercy
Ephesians 2:4–5 NKJV contains some of the most beautiful words in Scripture:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us… made us alive together with Christ.”
Rich in mercy.
Not barely merciful.
Not reluctantly merciful.
Rich in mercy.
Then Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God, not of works…”
That removes our ability to boast.
We cannot stand before someone else and say:
“God accepted me because I was better than you.”
No..
We stand before the cross knowing:
I needed grace too.
The ground at the foot of the cross is level.
Every one of us comes needing Jesus.
When the Enemy Has a Face
It is much easier to talk about mercy in general terms than when the enemy has a name and a face.
Maybe someone betrayed you.
Someone lied about you.
Someone took advantage of you.
Someone deliberately hurt you.
Someone caused damage that cannot simply be undone.
Then we encounter some very challenging words from Jesus.
Luke 6:27–28 NKJV says:
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”
Those are not easy words.
Jesus does not pretend the person did nothing wrong.
He calls them enemies.
Yet He tells us not to allow their hatred to determine what grows inside our hearts.
They may choose hatred.
We choose Christ.
They may curse.
We bless.
They may mistreat us.
We pray.
That is not weakness.
That requires the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Forgiveness Does Not Always Mean Trust
We should make another distinction.
Forgiving someone does not necessarily mean immediately trusting them again.
Trust can be damaged.
Relationships may need boundaries.
Reconciliation requires truth and, where appropriate, repentance from both sides.
There may even be situations where wisdom requires distance.
But forgiveness means we refuse to make bitterness our permanent companion.
Romans 12:19 NKJV tells us:
“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves… for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
Forgiveness places judgment into God's hands.
We are saying:
“Lord, I will not spend my life trying to make this person pay. I give this to You.”
Sometimes forgiveness is a decision we must reaffirm more than once as the hurt heals.
But each time, we place the matter back into God's hands.
What If Your Enemy Became Your Brother?
There is another side to mercy that can challenge us deeply.
What happens if the person we thought could never change...
changes?
What if the person who opposed God repents?
What if Jesus saves them?
Would we rejoice?
The early church faced exactly that question with Saul.
Saul persecuted Christians.
Believers had very good reasons to fear him.
Then Saul encountered Jesus.
And the man who had persecuted the church became Paul, a servant of Christ.
At first, believers had difficulty believing his conversion was real.
Understandably so.
But grace had changed him.
Never assume that someone is beyond the reach of Jesus.
The person you are praying against today may be someone God wants you to begin praying for.
Because Jesus can still change hearts.
The Cross Changes How We See Our Enemies
When we stand at the cross, something happens to our pride.
We cannot look at another sinner from a place of superiority.
We can disagree with what someone does.
We can oppose evil.
We can speak truth.
We can establish boundaries.
But we should never forget:
Jesus died for sinners.
Including us.
That does not make every person safe.
It does not make every action acceptable.
But it means we should never look at another human being and decide:
“That person is beyond God's mercy.”
If Jesus could save us, He can save them.
Mercy Can Break the Cycle
Hurt often produces more hurt.
Someone wounds us.
We retaliate.
They retaliate again.
Bitterness grows.
Families divide.
Friendships collapse.
Sometimes hatred passes from one generation to another.
Someone eventually has to stop the cycle.
Mercy says:
“The hurt stops here.”
That does not mean justice no longer matters.
It means we refuse to become like the darkness that wounded us.
Romans 12:21 NKJV says:
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
That is the King's way.
Darkness does not defeat darkness.
Light does.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Perhaps there is a Malgor in your life.
Someone whose name immediately brings back the hurt.
Someone you would rather avoid.
Someone you find very difficult to pray for.
Jesus is not asking you to pretend the wound never happened.
But perhaps He is asking you to place that person into His hands.
Can you pray:
“Lord, I don't know how to love this person, but You do.”
“Heal what their actions damaged in me.”
“Keep bitterness from taking root in my heart.”
“Bring them to repentance and draw them to Jesus.”
That may be where mercy begins.
Or perhaps today you identify more with Malgor than Caleb.
You look at your past and wonder whether you have gone too far.
Whether you have failed too badly.
Whether God could possibly want you.
Then hear the Gospel.
Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
Salvation is not something you earn.
It is God's gift received through faith in Jesus Christ.
There is mercy at the cross.
There is forgiveness.
There is reconciliation with God.
And there is a new life in Christ.
No one needs mercy more than someone who does not deserve it.
And that describes every one of us.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for the mercy You showed us when we could never have earned it.
Thank You that while we were still sinners, You died for us.
Keep us from forgetting how much grace we have received.
When others hurt us, protect our hearts from bitterness.
Give us wisdom to establish healthy boundaries when they are needed, but do not allow hatred to take root within us.
Teach us to pray for our enemies.
Give us the strength to bless rather than curse and to overcome evil with good.
Where forgiveness is difficult, help us place the hurt and the person into Your hands.
And Lord, for those who believe they have gone too far to receive Your mercy, let them see the cross.
Draw them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Change hearts as only You can.
May people look at our lives and see something this world desperately needs.
Truth without hatred.
Grace without compromise.
And mercy that points people toward Jesus.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 11 — When the Darkness Seems Greatest
The Great Darkness does not mean the King has abandoned His people. Our hope rests in Christ, not in our circumstances.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 11 — When the Darkness Seems Greatest
The greatness of the darkness never changes the greatness of the King.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb eventually reaches a point where the darkness seems greater than anything he has faced before.
The struggle is no longer somewhere far down the road.
It is all around him.
Everything he has learned about trusting the King is being tested.
Our walk with Christ can bring us to seasons like that too.
Jesus never promised us a trouble-free road. In fact, John 16:33 NKJV says:
“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
In Journey 11, we look at what it means to keep trusting when circumstances are difficult, to hold fast when fear grows loud, and to remember that our hope rests in Jesus Christ—not in what we can see around us.
The darkness may be real.
The valley may be difficult.
The storm may be loud.
But none of those things change who God is.
The King is still King.
Jesus is still Lord.
And the Light still shines.
🏮 Hold fast. Keep the light. He is faithful.
Listen To Journey 11
Walking in the Light
Journey 11 — When the Darkness Seems Greatest
Our Hope Rests in Christ, Not in Our Circumstances
Key Scripture — John 16:33 NKJV
“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
There came a point in The King’s Lantern when the darkness seemed greater than anything Caleb had faced before.
The struggle was no longer somewhere far down the road.
It was all around him.
Everything the King had taught Caleb was being tested.
Would he still trust when he could not see the outcome?
Would he still believe the King’s promises when circumstances seemed to say something different?
Would he continue carrying the light when darkness appeared to be winning?
That is where Caleb discovered one of the most important truths of his journey.
The greatness of the darkness never changed the greatness of the King.
And neither does ours.
Jesus Never Promised a Trouble-Free Road
Sometimes we mistakenly believe that following Jesus should protect us from difficult circumstances.
But Jesus never promised that.
He actually told His disciples the opposite.
John 16:33 says,
“In the world you will have tribulation…”
There will be trouble.
There will be disappointment.
There will be loss.
There will be opposition.
There will be moments when we do not understand what God is doing.
But Jesus did not end His statement with tribulation.
He continued,
“…but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Our hope is not that trouble never comes.
Our hope is that Jesus has already overcome.
Darkness Can Make Us Forget What We Know
When circumstances become difficult, our vision can become very narrow.
All we see is the problem.
All we hear is the bad report.
All we think about is what might happen next.
Fear begins telling us a story.
“This will never change.”
“God has forgotten you.”
“There is no way through this.”
But faith asks a different question.
“What has God already said?”
That was something Caleb had to learn throughout his journey.
When he could not understand what was happening around him, he had to remember what he already knew about the King.
We must do the same.
God is still faithful.
His Word is still true.
Jesus is still Lord.
And the darkness has not changed any of those things.
The Lantern Matters Most in the Darkness
A lantern is easy to overlook in broad daylight.
But when darkness comes, even a small flame becomes important.
The same is true of our faith.
It is easy to say,
“God is faithful,”
when everything is going well.
But when circumstances become difficult, those same words become a declaration of faith.
Psalm 27:1 NKJV says,
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?”
David knew what it was to face enemies.
He knew fear.
He knew uncertainty.
Yet he declared what he knew about God.
The Lord is my light.
Sometimes walking in the light means declaring God's truth while darkness is still around us.
Do Not Measure God by the Moment
One of the dangers of difficult seasons is judging God's entire plan by one moment in the journey.
Imagine Caleb stopping halfway through his story and saying,
“This must be how everything ends.”
He could not see the chapters ahead.
Neither can we.
We see today.
God sees the whole road.
What appears to us like an ending may simply be a place God is leading us through.
Psalm 23:4 NKJV says,
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.”
Notice the word.
Through.
The valley is not necessarily the destination.
Sometimes it is part of the road.
And the promise is not that we will never enter a valley.
The promise is that God is with us in it.
Nothing Can Separate Us From His Love
Romans 8 contains one of Scripture's strongest declarations of confidence.
Paul asks what could separate us from the love of Christ.
Tribulation?
Distress?
Persecution?
Famine?
Danger?
Then Romans 8:37 NKJV says,
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Notice that Paul does not say we are conquerors because none of those things happen.
He says,
“In all these things.”
Our victory is not based upon perfect circumstances.
It is based upon Christ.
Then Paul declares that neither death nor life, things present nor things to come, nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Darkness may surround us.
But it cannot separate us from Him.
Hold Fast
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV says,
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Why do we hold fast?
Not because we are always strong.
Not because we understand everything.
Not because we know exactly how the situation will turn out.
We hold fast because:
“He who promised is faithful.”
Our confidence rests in the character of God.
Sometimes faith is moving forward.
Sometimes faith is stepping boldly into something new.
And sometimes faith simply says,
“I am not letting go.”
The Enemy Wants You to Put Down the Lantern
Darkness has a purpose.
It wants to convince us that carrying the light no longer matters.
Why keep praying?
Why keep believing?
Why keep worshiping?
Why keep serving?
Why keep trusting?
Because the darkness is not the end of the story.
Galatians 6:9 NKJV says,
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Do not put down the lantern simply because the road became difficult.
Keep praying.
Keep worshiping.
Keep believing God's Word.
Keep loving people.
Keep serving.
Keep walking.
You may be carrying more light into that darkness than you realize.
Look Toward Jesus
When Peter stepped out of the boat, he walked on water toward Jesus.
But Matthew 14 tells us that when Peter saw the wind was boisterous, he became afraid.
The storm captured his attention.
That happens to us too.
The circumstances become larger in our vision than Christ.
The answer is not pretending the storm does not exist.
The answer is remembering Who is standing in the storm with us.
Jesus was there before Peter stepped out.
Jesus was there when Peter became afraid.
And Jesus was there when Peter cried,
“Lord, save me!”
The storm did not drive Jesus away.
And your storm does not frighten Him either.
Morning Is Coming
Psalm 30:5 NKJV says,
“Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”
Night can feel very long when we are walking through it.
But night does not last forever.
This does not mean every difficult circumstance will resolve exactly as we hope.
Our ultimate hope is greater than temporary circumstances.
Our hope is Jesus Christ.
There will come a day when every believer will stand in the presence of the King.
There will be no darkness there.
No fear.
No death.
No sorrow.
No enemy threatening the Kingdom.
The final victory belongs to Jesus.
That is why Christians can have hope even in very difficult times.
We know Who wins.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Maybe right now your road is bright.
If it is, thank God.
Remember His faithfulness.
Store His Word in your heart.
Because those truths become anchors when storms come.
But perhaps you are walking through something difficult today.
Maybe circumstances look nothing like you expected.
Maybe you have prayed and the answer has not come.
Maybe you are tired.
Maybe the darkness seems greater than the light.
Then remember Caleb's lesson.
The greatness of the darkness never changed the greatness of the King.
Do not judge the whole story by the chapter you are standing in.
Do not measure God's faithfulness by today's circumstances.
Hold fast.
Keep praying.
Keep worshiping.
Keep carrying the light.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
The King has not abandoned His people.
And darkness does not get the final word.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that our hope does not depend upon our circumstances.
You told us there would be trouble in this world, but You also told us to take courage because You have overcome the world.
When darkness surrounds us, remind us of what is true.
When fear becomes loud, help us hear Your Word more clearly.
When we cannot see what lies ahead, teach us to trust the One who can.
Help us hold fast because You are faithful.
Keep us from putting down the light when the road becomes difficult.
Strengthen those who are walking through valleys today.
Remind them that they are not alone.
Turn our eyes toward Jesus.
And when the darkness seems greatest, remind us that darkness has never overcome Your light.
The King is still King.
Jesus is still Lord.
And the Light still shines.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 12 — The King Is Coming
Our journey does not end with simply surviving the darkness. Jesus Christ has promised that He will return.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 12 — The King Is Coming
Our hope is not only in who Christ is, but in His promise to return.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb learned to trust the King even when he could not see what waited beyond the next step.
But Caleb's King belongs to our story.
There is a real King. His name is Jesus Christ.
And He has made us a promise.
John 14:3 NKJV says:
“I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
In Journey 12, we turn from Caleb's fictional journey toward the glorious promise given to every believer in Jesus Christ.
Our King is coming.
We do not know the day or the hour. Our calling is not to calculate His return, but to be ready—to remain faithful, carry His light, share the Gospel, love others, and keep our eyes upon Jesus.
We are not simply waiting for an event.
We are waiting for Someone we know.
The Jesus who died for us.
The Jesus who rose again.
The Jesus who ascended into heaven.
That same Jesus is coming again.
So until that day...
Watch.
Be ready.
Keep the faith.
Light the way.
🏮 “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” — Revelation 22:20 NKJV
Listen To Journey 12
Walking in the Light
Journey 12 — The King Is Coming
Our Hope Is Not Only in Who Christ Is, but in His Promise to Return
Key Scripture — John 14:1–3 NKJV
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions... I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb learned to trust the King.
He followed when he did not know where the road would lead.
He carried the lantern through valleys.
He stood when fear told him to run.
He discovered mercy.
He saw broken things restored.
And when darkness seemed greatest, he learned that the darkness had never been greater than the King.
But Caleb's King belongs to our story.
There is a real King.
His name is Jesus Christ.
And He has made His people a promise.
“I will come again.”
The Christian journey is not simply about learning how to live faithfully in this present world.
We are also waiting for our King.
Jesus Made a Promise
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus knew His disciples were troubled.
Their world was about to change.
So He comforted them with a promise.
John 14:2–3 NKJV says,
“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again…”
Think about those words.
“I will come again.”
Not maybe.
Not perhaps.
Not if circumstances work out.
Jesus promised to return.
The One who went to the cross for us...
The One who rose from the dead...
The One who ascended into heaven...
is coming again.
That promise has encouraged believers for generations.
And it should encourage us.
Why Are You Looking Up?
After Jesus rose from the dead, He spent time with His disciples.
Then Acts 1 tells us that He ascended into heaven while they watched.
Imagine standing there.
Jesus had just risen from the dead.
Now He was being taken from their sight.
The disciples stood looking toward heaven.
Then two angels appeared.
Acts 1:11 NKJV says,
“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
This same Jesus.
The Jesus who healed.
The Jesus who taught.
The Jesus who welcomed sinners.
The Jesus who died.
The Jesus who rose again.
That Jesus is coming again.
Our hope is not built upon an idea.
Our hope is in a Person.
We Are Waiting for Someone We Know
There is a difference between waiting for an event and waiting for someone you love.
Imagine knowing that someone dear to you has been away for a very long time.
Then you receive word:
“I'm coming home.”
Everything changes.
You prepare.
You watch.
You anticipate.
Not because you are afraid of the person's arrival.
You are looking forward to seeing them.
The return of Christ should carry that kind of hope for those who belong to Him.
We are not merely waiting for something to happen.
We are waiting for Jesus.
The Lord Himself Will Descend
First Thessalonians 4:16–17 NKJV gives believers a wonderful promise:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. ”
Notice those words.
The Lord Himself.
Jesus is not sending someone else in His place.
He is coming.
Paul continues by describing believers being gathered to Him and concludes:
“And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
That is the heart of our hope.
Not simply escaping difficulty.
Not merely seeing prophecy fulfilled.
Being with Jesus.
Forever.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
Christians have sometimes spent enormous amounts of energy trying to determine exactly when Jesus will return.
Jesus warned us against that.
Matthew 24:36 NKJV says,
“But of that day and hour no one knows…”
Our assignment is not to calculate a date Jesus said we do not know.
Our assignment is to be ready.
Jesus repeatedly taught His followers to watch.
To remain faithful.
To continue serving.
To live expecting His return.
The question is not:
“Can I figure out when He is coming?”
The better question is:
“If He came today, would He find me faithfully following Him?”
Waiting Does Not Mean Standing Still
When we say we are waiting for Jesus, that does not mean Christians should withdraw from life and stare toward heaven.
Remember what happened in Acts 1.
The disciples were looking upward.
But they had work to do.
Jesus had already told them they would be His witnesses.
There were people who needed to hear the Gospel.
There were hurting people who needed love.
There were churches to be established.
There were lives to be reached.
And the same is true today.
Until Jesus comes, there is work for us to do.
There are people to love.
There are people to forgive.
There are people who need to hear about Jesus.
There are forgotten people who need to be remembered.
There are burdens to carry together.
There is light to carry into dark places.
Waiting faithfully means living faithfully.
His Return Should Change How We Live Today
If we truly believe Jesus is coming again, it should affect today's decisions.
How we treat people matters.
What we do with our time matters.
Whether we forgive matters.
Whether we obey God matters.
Whether we share the Gospel matters.
Whether we carry His light matters.
First John 3:2 through 3 NKJV speaks of seeing Christ and then says:
“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Biblical hope is not passive.
Hope changes us.
We want our lives to honor the King we are waiting to see.
Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled
Remember how Jesus began His promise in John 14.
“Let not your heart be troubled.”
Those words matter.
Jesus connected His promised return with comfort.
There is plenty in this world that can trouble our hearts.
Wars.
Division.
Uncertainty.
Loss.
Disease.
Violence.
A culture that sometimes seems to be moving farther from God.
But Christians do not have to place their ultimate hope in the condition of this world.
Our hope rests somewhere else.
Our King is coming.
That does not mean we ignore what is happening around us.
It means what is happening around us does not determine our final hope.
What If He Came Today?
That question should not merely produce fear.
For someone who knows Christ, it should produce anticipation.
But it should also cause us to examine our lives.
Am I walking with Jesus?
Is there something He has told me to do that I keep postponing?
Is there someone I need to forgive?
Is there someone I need to tell about Christ?
Have I allowed the things of this world to become more important than the things of God?
If Jesus came today, would I be glad to see Him?
If that question troubles us, the answer is not to hide from Jesus.
The answer is to come to Him.
Are You Ready to Meet the King?
This is where the teaching becomes very personal.
Knowing that Jesus will return is not the same thing as belonging to Him.
Going to church does not save us.
Trying to be a good person does not save us.
Our own works cannot remove our sin.
Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.
Romans 10:9 NKJV says,
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Salvation is found in Jesus Christ.
If you have never surrendered your life to Him, do not wait for some better day.
Come to Jesus.
Trust Him.
Receive His grace.
Follow Him.
Because the greatest preparation for the return of Christ is not knowing every detail of prophecy.
It is knowing Jesus.
“Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!”
The Bible ends with a remarkable prayer.
Revelation 22:20 NKJV says,
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
What a way for Scripture to end.
The story began with God creating light.
It ends with God's people waiting for the return of the King.
And between those two moments stands Jesus Christ.
Our Savior.
Our Lord.
Our King.
The Christian journey has a destination.
We are not wandering without purpose.
We know where our hope leads.
To Jesus.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Caleb carried his lantern because he trusted the King.
We carry the light of Christ because we know our King.
Maybe you are tired.
Keep walking.
Maybe the world seems increasingly dark.
Keep shining.
Maybe you wonder how much longer the journey will last.
Keep trusting.
Maybe you have someone in your life who does not yet know Christ.
Keep praying.
Keep loving.
Keep sharing the truth.
Jesus has not forgotten His promise.
The King is coming.
Until then...
Carry the light.
Love people.
Share the Gospel.
Remain faithful.
And keep your eyes on Jesus.
Because one day faith will become sight.
We will see the King.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your promise that You will come again.
Thank You that our hope is not built upon the circumstances of this world but upon Your faithfulness.
Help us live ready for Your return.
Keep us faithful when the journey is long.
Keep our lamps burning and our hearts turned toward You.
Give us compassion for those who do not yet know You.
Give us courage to share the Gospel.
Help us forgive quickly, love faithfully, serve willingly, and obey You wholeheartedly.
For anyone who does not yet know You, draw that person to repentance and faith.
Let them discover the grace and salvation found in Jesus Christ.
And while we wait, keep our eyes upon You.
May our lives say what Scripture says:
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
Until that day, help us keep walking in the light.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 13 — All Things New
The King's return is not merely the end of darkness. Scripture promises something far greater—the restoration of all things.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 13 — All Things New
The King does more than defeat the darkness—He restores what was broken.
Throughout The King’s Lantern, Caleb witnessed what darkness could do. He saw broken places, hurting people, fear, loss, and things that seemed far beyond restoration.
But the King was never simply fighting against darkness.
He was restoring a kingdom.
That picture points us toward one of the greatest promises God has given His people.
Revelation 21:5 NKJV says:
“Behold, I make all things new.”
In Journey 13, we look beyond the struggles of this present world toward God's promised restoration—a day when His people will dwell in His presence and the things that have brought so much pain will finally be gone.
No more death.
No more sorrow.
No more tears.
No more curse.
No more night.
And perhaps the greatest promise of all is found in Revelation 22:4:
“They shall see His face.”
The Christian story does not end in darkness.
It does not end in sorrow.
It does not end at the grave.
It ends in the presence of God.
So when the chapter you are walking through seems broken beyond repair, remember: you are not standing at the end of the story.
The King is not finished.
🏮 “Behold, I make all things new.” — Revelation 21:5 NKJV
Listen To Journey 13
Walking in the Light
Journey 13 — All Things New
The King Does More Than Defeat the Darkness — He Restores What Was Broken
Key Scripture — Revelation 21:5 NKJV
“Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’”
Near the end of The King’s Lantern, Caleb begins to see something he could not have imagined when his journey first began.
He had seen darkness.
He had seen broken cities.
He had seen fear, loss, and the damage caused by those who resisted the King.
He had walked through places that seemed beyond restoration.
But the King's purpose was never simply to defeat an enemy.
The King was restoring a kingdom.
Broken things were being made whole.
Hope was returning.
Light was reaching places that had lived in darkness.
And life was beginning again.
That part of Caleb's story points toward one of the greatest promises in all of Scripture.
God's plan does not end with His people merely escaping a broken world.
God promises to make all things new.
The Bible Begins and Ends With Creation
Genesis begins with God creating the heavens and the earth.
Everything He created was good.
There was life.
There was fellowship with God.
There was no death.
There was no sorrow.
There was no curse.
Then sin entered the world, and everything changed.
Brokenness entered God's creation.
But that is not where the biblical story ends.
Near the end of Revelation, John sees something extraordinary.
Revelation 21:1 NKJV says,
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”
The Bible begins with creation.
And it ends with restoration.
God has not abandoned what sin damaged.
God Will Dwell With His People
Revelation 21:3 NKJV says,
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them…”
Think about that promise.
Throughout Scripture, people longed for the presence of God.
The tabernacle represented His presence.
The temple represented His presence.
Jesus came and walked among us.
The Holy Spirit now dwells within believers.
But Revelation points toward a day when God's people will live forever in His presence.
No separation.
No wondering whether God is near.
No walking by faith because we cannot see.
We will be with Him.
The greatest thing about eternity is not streets of gold.
It is not gates of pearl.
It is not even the beauty of the new creation.
The greatest thing about eternity is:
God is there.
No More Tears
Then comes one of the most comforting promises in Scripture.
Revelation 21:4 NKJV says,
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.”
Every person carries a story.
Some stories contain tremendous joy.
Others contain deep sorrow.
Most contain both.
There are tears nobody else has seen.
There are losses we still remember.
There are questions for which we never received an answer.
But Scripture tells us there is coming a day when God Himself will wipe away every tear.
Not some tears.
Every tear.
Death will not simply become less common.
There will be no more death.
Sorrow will not simply become easier to bear.
There will be no more sorrow.
That is restoration beyond anything this present world can offer.
The Former Things Have Passed Away
Revelation 21:4 concludes,
“For the former things have passed away.”
There are things we experience now that simply do not belong in God's eternal Kingdom.
Death.
Pain.
Fear.
Disease.
Hatred.
War.
Sin.
Separation.
These things seem permanent because they have been part of human history for so long.
But they are not permanent.
Jesus is.
Sometimes we accidentally think of darkness as though it were the equal opposite of light.
It is not.
Darkness has an expiration date.
The Kingdom of God does not.
“Behold, I Make All Things New”
Then the One sitting upon the throne speaks.
Revelation 21:5 NKJV says,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
Notice what God does not say.
He does not say,
“I make a few things better.”
He says,
“I make all things new.”
This is not simply repair.
It is restoration on a scale only God can accomplish.
Throughout Caleb's journey, he saw places where he might reasonably have thought,
“Nothing good can ever come from here again.”
But the King saw something Caleb could not yet see.
We sometimes look at our world the same way.
We see brokenness and wonder how anything could ever be made right.
Revelation gives us God's answer.
He is not finished.
The River of Life
Revelation 22 gives us another beautiful picture.
John sees a pure river of water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Then Revelation 22:2 NKJV describes the tree of life and says its leaves are:
“for the healing of the nations.”
The tree of life that appeared near the beginning of Scripture appears again near the end.
And Revelation 22:3 says something remarkable.
“And there shall be no more curse…”
What entered the story in Genesis is finally gone.
No more curse.
The restoration is complete.
We Will See His Face
Then Revelation gives us perhaps an even greater promise.
Revelation 22:4 NKJV says,
“They shall see His face…”
For generations, believers have walked by faith.
We pray to Someone we cannot physically see.
We worship Someone our eyes have never looked upon.
We trust His promises.
We feel His presence.
We see evidence of His work.
But one day faith will become sight.
We will see Him.
The One who saved us.
The One who carried us.
The One who forgave us.
The One who never abandoned us.
The One we spent our lives worshiping.
We will see His face.
There Shall Be No Night There
Revelation 22:5 NKJV says,
“There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.”
Think about that in connection with The King's Lantern.
Caleb carried a lantern because there was darkness around him.
He needed light for the road.
He needed light to see where he was going.
But Scripture describes a Kingdom where there is no night.
No lantern is needed.
No darkness remains.
Why?
Because God Himself gives the light.
The lantern was never the destination.
The Light was.
And that prepares us beautifully for our final Journey.
Restoration Begins in Us Now
Although the complete restoration described in Revelation is still ahead, God is already doing a work of restoration in those who belong to Christ.
Second Corinthians 5:17 NKJV says,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”
Jesus changes lives now.
He forgives sin.
He restores hope.
He heals broken relationships.
He changes hearts.
He takes people who were walking in darkness and brings them into His light.
We do not yet see the complete restoration of all things.
But every transformed life gives us a glimpse of the King's work.
God is already making people new.
Do Not Lose Hope in What God Can Restore
Maybe there is something in your own life that looks broken beyond repair.
A relationship.
A dream.
A family situation.
Something from your past.
Perhaps you have prayed for someone for years and nothing seems to change.
We must be careful not to promise that God will restore every earthly circumstance exactly as we desire.
Scripture does not promise that.
But Scripture does promise something greater.
Brokenness does not have the final word.
God does.
There may be things we never fully understand on this side of eternity.
But the Christian story ends in restoration.
Not because everything in this life works out the way we planned.
But because God makes all things new.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Think back over Caleb's journey.
Imagine if he had judged the entire story by the darkest chapter.
He would never have imagined what the King was preparing.
Maybe you are standing in a difficult chapter yourself.
Do not mistake the chapter for the ending.
The Christian story does not end at the grave.
It does not end in sorrow.
It does not end in darkness.
It does not end with Satan victorious.
It ends with the King upon His throne.
It ends with God's people in His presence.
It ends with no more death.
No more sorrow.
No more crying.
No more curse.
No more night.
All things new.
That is our hope.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that Your story does not end in darkness.
Thank You for the promise that You are making all things new.
When we look at the brokenness around us, keep us from losing hope.
When we experience sorrow, remind us that sorrow is not eternal.
When we experience loss, remind us that death does not have the final word.
Thank You for the promise of a day when every tear will be wiped away.
No more death.
No more sorrow.
No more curse.
No more night.
Thank You that those who belong to You will see Your face and live forever in Your presence.
And while we wait for that day, continue Your restoring work within us.
Make us more like Jesus.
Use us to bring hope into broken places.
Help us carry Your light faithfully until the day when no lantern will be needed.
Because You Yourself will be our light.
Behold, You make all things new.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Continue the Journey
Journey 14 — The Light That Never Ends
The lantern was never the source of the light. Neither are we. Jesus Christ is the Light—and His Light will never end.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Connecting the Journey to Our Walk with Christ
Journey 14 — The Light That Never Ends
The lantern was never the source of the Light. Jesus Christ is.
From the beginning of The King’s Lantern, the lantern helped Caleb find his way when the road was uncertain. It reminded him of the King, gave light in dark places, and eventually became something he learned to carry for others.
But the lantern was never the source.
Jesus said in John 8:12 NKJV:
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
In Journey 14, we reach the end of Walking in the Light and discover the truth toward which every Journey has been pointing.
Jesus is the Light.
We do not create that Light—we reflect Him.
We carry His truth.
We share His Gospel.
We show His love.
We extend the mercy we received.
And through our lives, we point others toward Jesus.
But Scripture promises that one day even the lantern will no longer be needed.
Revelation 21:23 tells us:
“The Lamb is its light.”
And Revelation 22:5 says:
“There shall be no night there.”
The lantern will have completed its purpose—not because the Light has gone out, but because the darkness is gone.
Until that day...
Keep walking.
Keep trusting.
Keep worshiping.
Keep loving.
Keep serving.
Keep carrying His Light.
Our Walking in the Light series may be ending, but our Christian journey continues.
Now walk it.
🏮 Faith Over Fear. Light Over Darkness. Jesus Christ — The Light That Never Ends.
Listen To Journey 14
Walking in the Light
Journey 14 — The Light That Never Ends
The Lantern Was Never the Source of the Light — Christ Is
Key Scripture — John 8:12 NKJV
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
From the beginning of The King’s Lantern, the lantern became an important part of Caleb's journey.
It helped guide him when the road was uncertain.
It reminded him of the King when fear tried to take control.
Its light mattered when darkness surrounded him.
And eventually Caleb learned that the light he carried was not meant for him alone.
But as we reach the end of our journey together, there is something important we must remember.
The lantern was never the source of the light.
And neither are we.
There is only One who can truly say:
“I am the light of the world.”
His name is Jesus Christ.
Before Caleb Ever Carried the Lantern
Throughout this series we have used Caleb's lantern as a picture of our Christian walk.
But Jesus existed long before our fictional lantern ever did.
John 1:4–5 NKJV says:
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Before we ever believed...
Jesus was the Light.
Before we ever learned to pray...
Jesus was the Light.
Before we ever opened a Bible...
Jesus was the Light.
Before we ever carried His truth to someone else...
Jesus was the Light.
We do not create spiritual light.
We receive it from Him.
We Reflect the Light
Jesus also said something remarkable to His followers.
Matthew 5:14 NKJV says:
“You are the light of the world.”
At first that might sound like a contradiction.
Jesus says He is the Light of the world, and then He tells His followers they are the light of the world.
But think about the moon.
The moon does not produce its own light.
It reflects the light of the sun.
In much the same way, Christians do not generate the Light of Christ.
We reflect the One who lives within us.
When we love someone others reject, His light shines.
When we forgive when bitterness would be easier, His light shines.
When we speak truth with grace, His light shines.
When we serve without seeking recognition, His light shines.
When we tell someone about Jesus, His light shines.
The glory never belongs to the lantern.
The glory belongs to the Light.
Remember the Road We Have Walked
Think about where this series began.
The King Calls — Will You Follow?
Jesus calls us to Himself.
Enough Light for the Next Step
We learned that God does not always show us the entire road. Sometimes He gives us enough light to take the next faithful step.
Faith Over Fear
We discovered that courage does not mean fear never comes. It means we continue trusting God when it does.
The Narrow Way
Jesus told us there is a road that leads to life, and following Him requires a decision.
The Battle Within
We learned that some of the greatest battles are fought inside our own hearts.
The Light Was Never Meant for You Alone
Christ calls us to carry His truth and love to others.
And along the way we took a couple of unexpected turns. 😂
We learned what to do When the Light Grows Dim.
We learned that there are times When You Cannot Carry the Lantern Alone.
Then we returned to Caleb's road.
The Forgotten Are Remembered
We learned that the Kingdom sees people the world overlooks.
Mercy for the Enemy
We remembered that before we talk about giving mercy, we must remember how much mercy we ourselves have received.
When the Darkness Seems Greatest
We learned that the greatness of the darkness never changes the greatness of the King.
The King Is Coming
We turned from Caleb's fictional King toward the true King, Jesus Christ, who promised:
“I will come again.”
All Things New
And we looked toward the day when God will wipe away every tear and make all things new.
Every one of those Journeys has brought us here.
Back to the Light.
What Happens to the Lantern?
Revelation gives us an extraordinary picture of the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:23 NKJV says:
“The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”
Think about that.
Throughout Caleb's story, the lantern mattered because darkness existed.
Throughout our Christian lives, we carry the Gospel into a world where darkness still exists.
But Scripture describes a coming day when there will be no darkness left to overcome.
Revelation 22:5 NKJV says:
“There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.”
No lamp.
That means something special at the end of The King's Lantern.
The lantern has completed its purpose.
Not because the Light has gone out.
But because the darkness is gone.
Darkness Never Won
Sometimes darkness looks powerful.
Caleb discovered that.
We discover it too.
Look around our world and there is plenty that can discourage us.
But darkness has never been able to extinguish Jesus Christ.
John 1:5 tells us:
“And the light shines in the darkness…”
Notice the tense.
Shines.
The Light still shines.
Kingdoms have risen and fallen.
Generations have come and gone.
Christians have faced persecution.
People have tried to silence the Gospel.
Yet here we are.
Still worshiping Jesus.
Still preaching His Word.
Still telling people about the cross.
Still carrying the Light.
Why?
Because darkness cannot extinguish Him.
The Light Lives Within Us
There is another beautiful truth.
For those who belong to Christ, His Spirit dwells within us.
Second Corinthians 4:6 NKJV says:
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts…”
The God who said,
“Let there be light,”
has brought His light into our hearts through Jesus Christ.
That changes how we walk through this world.
We do not carry hope because everything around us is hopeful.
We carry hope because Christ lives in us.
We do not love because everyone deserves our love.
We love because He first loved us.
We do not forgive because forgiveness is always easy.
We forgive because we have been forgiven.
We do not shine so people will notice us.
We shine so they might see Jesus.
Do Not Worship the Lantern
There is a lesson here for every ministry.
God gives us tools.
Church buildings.
Music.
Websites.
Books.
Stories.
Microphones.
Technology.
Even a fictional lantern. 🏮
And God can use all of them.
But none of them is the Light.
A ministry is not the Light.
A preacher is not the Light.
A worship leader is not the Light.
The King's Lantern is not the Light.
Jesus Christ is the Light.
If anything we create causes people to look only at us, we have missed the purpose.
The lantern should always point beyond itself.
Toward Jesus.
Keep Carrying the Light
Our series may be reaching its end.
Our Christian journey is not.
There are still people walking in darkness.
There are still forgotten people who need to be noticed.
There are still enemies who need mercy.
There are still frightened people who need hope.
There are still believers whose arms have become tired.
There are still people who have never heard clearly that Jesus Christ loves them, died for their sins, rose again, and offers them salvation.
So until the King comes...
Carry the Light.
Not your light.
His Light.
One Day We Will Put the Lantern Down
There will come a day when our journey through this present world is complete.
For those who belong to Jesus Christ, darkness will not be waiting on the other side.
Jesus will.
Revelation tells us there will be no night there.
No lamp will be necessary.
No lantern will need to guide another step.
No road signs will be pointing the wrong direction. 😂
The journey will have reached its destination.
And the Light that guided us home will surround us forever.
The Lamb is its light.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Maybe you have followed every Journey in this series.
But there is one question more important than all the others.
Do you know the Light?
Not simply:
Do you know about Christianity?
Do you attend church?
Do you know Bible verses?
Do you try to live a good life?
But:
Do you know Jesus Christ?
Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world.”
He died for our sins.
He rose from the dead.
He offers forgiveness and eternal life to those who place their faith in Him.
If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, you do not need to understand every step of the road before you begin.
Remember Journey 1.
The King Calls — Will You Follow?
And remember Journey 2.
You may not have light for the entire road.
But you have enough light for the next step.
Come to Jesus.
And if you already belong to Him...
Keep walking.
Keep trusting.
Keep worshiping.
Keep loving.
Keep serving.
Keep telling others about Jesus.
Keep carrying His light.
Until the day we no longer need the lantern.
Because we will finally stand in the presence of:
The Light That Never Ends.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You are the Light of the world.
Thank You for calling us out of darkness and into Your marvelous light.
Thank You for every step of the journey.
For the mountains and valleys.
For the victories and the lessons.
For the people who helped carry us when we were tired.
For the mercy we received when we did not deserve it.
And most of all, thank You for Jesus Christ.
Keep us from ever confusing the lantern with the Light.
Let everything we do point toward You.
Use our words.
Use our worship.
Use our stories.
Use our lives.
Let Your light shine through us so others may see Jesus.
Give us courage to carry Your Gospel into dark places.
Give us compassion for the forgotten.
Give us mercy toward those who oppose us.
Give us faith when the road is difficult.
And keep our eyes upon You until the day faith becomes sight.
Until the King comes...
We will carry the Light.
And when our journey is complete, we look forward to the day when there will be no more night and no need for a lamp.
Because You will be our Light forever.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
The Journey Continues
The final page of Walking in the Light does not really say:
The End.
Perhaps it says something better:
Now, Walk It.
🏮 The King's Lantern — Walking in the Light
Faith Over Fear.
Light Over Darkness.
Jesus Christ — The Light That Never Ends.