She stood with the lake to her back, her voice drifted up from the amphitheater. She was dressed in a skort and a bright pink shirt. 

Once upon a time she was a teacher, now she’s the camp director and it’s her job to ensure safety and to clearly communicate rules and expectations. Just shy of seventy-five faces were looking in her direction as she laid out the ground rules of the week’s camp session. She was giving the dos and the don’ts, the places of safety, the places that were off limits. She was clearly communicating when she made the statement that caught my attention.

 I’ve never been a good rule follower, but in certain situations I like a rule, life or death for example I like a rule.

Rules ensure safety and survival. Rules ultimately are for the protection of the one who does follow them. She had just told the listening audience, also known as “the campers,” that if they had any contraband, food or phones they should turn them into her. She said very directly and clearly, “You’re not in trouble, we just don’t need those things in the cabins.” I smiled, knowing some aptly named pirate’s booty snacks had made it into a cabin earlier in the day. If the Pirate’s Booty wasn’t surrendered voluntarily, it would most definitely be confiscated during bunkcheck. 

She’d asked for questions, and like a good speaker she repeated it back for both the question asker and the other listeners. 

“Can we use our flashlight when it’s dark if we brought one?”

She answered the question immediately. “Of course you can! A flashlight is always a good idea.” 

I let the statement rattle around in my mind for a moment. 

“A flashlight is always a good idea.” I wondered if in history there was ever a time when a flashlight was not a good idea. When light shining in the darkness was ever a bad thing. My mind wandered to what I knew about the Watergate scandal of the Nixon era and its depiction in the film Forrest Gump. I thought about how it was the phone call Forrest made after seeing flashlights shining in the darkness that alluded to the exposure of the scandal. 

Most people do not even give much thought to a flashlight these days. Most cell phones have a flashlight feature. But here in this place, that camp where children and adults are unplugged a bit, a flashlight seemed the most necessary object, valued for its total illumination, and not to be overlooked. 

A flashlight has a way of cutting through the darkness to reveal what was unseen previously. 

A flashlight makes a way in the darkness, and without it one is prone to stumbling. 

A flashlight, albeit small in the big scheme of things, is powerful and effective. 

A flashlight is always a good idea. 

When the Lord Himself spoke of being light in darkness, words recorded in Matthew, I wonder if He looked forward in time and thought as he commanded them then, and as He commands us Believers now, if He was saying,

“Be a flashlight. In my Kingdom, a flashlight is always a good idea!”

Have you ever pondered the significance of your personal Egypt? For me, Egypt is a metaphorical representation of the challenges and hardships we encounter in life. It could be a period of darkness, despair, or bondage that we find ourselves trapped in. However, just like the Israelites in the biblical account, we have the opportunity to be delivered from our Egypt and experience the freedom and promise of a new land.

Speaking of music, I must confess my unwavering adoration for it. The power of music is ineffable; it has an extraordinary ability to touch the deepest recesses of my soul. No matter how dreadful my day may be, a simple melody or a heartfelt lyric has the remarkable ability to transform my mood and uplift my spirit. One song, in particular, recently struck a chord within me – “Egypt” by Cain. Its poignant lyrics resonated deeply, as they vividly described the transformative journey from bondage to liberation.

In those heartfelt verses, the singer poetically expresses the profound impact of a divine presence in their life. It portrays a personal encounter where the Almighty steps into their Egypt, extending a comforting hand and guiding them towards freedom. This imagery is reminiscent of the biblical story of the Exodus, where Moses led the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

The lyrics beautifully convey the gratitude and devotion one feels after being liberated from their own Egypt. It becomes impossible to forget the Divine intervention that rescued them from the clutches of despair. Their newfound freedom is celebrated through joyful songs proclaiming the triumph over death itself through the overwhelming force of love.

To fully grasp the concept of Egypt, it is essential to explore the scriptural context. In the book of Exodus, we encounter the narrative of the Israelites’ journey through Egypt. Their initial arrival in Egypt was marked by the names of the sons of Israel who entered with their households, including Jacob’s descendants. The Israelites grew and multiplied, despite the hardships imposed upon them. Their population flourished, filling the land of Egypt with their presence.

In essence, this biblical passage sheds light on the historical foundation of Egypt as a physical place. However, its deeper significance lies in its metaphorical representation of personal struggles and challenges. Egypt symbolizes the various obstacles we face on our own life’s journey, be it emotional, spiritual, or circumstantial.

So, my friend, have you pondered your own Egypt? What are the struggles or challenges that have encompassed your life? Reflecting on the lyrics of “Egypt” and delving into the biblical account, we are invited to examine our personal journeys and recognize the divine presence that can guide us towards freedom, healing, and the fulfillment of our deepest aspirations.

“Egypt”

I won’t forget
The wonders of how You brought
Deliverance
The exodus of my heart

You found me
You freed me
Held back the waters for my release
Oh Yahweh

You’re the God who fights for me
Lord of every victory
Hallelujah, hallelujah
You have torn apart the sea
You have led me through the deep
Hallelujah, hallelujah

A cloud by day
Is a sign that You are with me
And the fire by night
Is a guiding light to my feet, woah

You found me
You freed me
Held back the waters for my release
Oh Yahweh

You’re the God who fights for me
Lord of every victory
Hallelujah, hallelujah
And You have torn apart the sea
You have led me through the deep
Hallelujah, hallelujah, oh

‘Cause You stepped into my Egypt
You took me by the hand
You marched me out in freedom
Into the promised land
Oh, and I will not forget You
I’ll sing of all You’ve done
Death is swallowed up forever
By the fury of Your love

You stepped into my Egypt
You took me by the hand
You marched me out in freedom
Into the promised land
Now I will not forget You God
I’ll sing of all You’ve done
Death is swallowed up forever
By the fury of Your love
Oh yeah

You’re the God who fights for me
Lord of every victory
Hallelujah, hallelujah
You have torn apart the sea
You have led me through the deep
Hallelujah, hallelujah, oh

You tore apart the sea
If only just for me
You stepped into my Egypt
You took me by the hand
You marched me out in freedom
Into the promised land

As my nurse friends and I  peered into the display case we first tried to figure out what it was we were looking at. The informational display case had recently been redone and laying before us was an unusual object, dry and fragile in appearance, slightly transparent but not. As we all walked closer to the glassed front display case, we all seemed to realize simultaneously what it was we were looking at, a shed snake skin. The specimen before us  had once been the outer covering of a snake. 

The skin was large and all I could think at the time was, “That is one big ol’ timber rattler.” There was a collective “Eww!” once we all realized what it was we were looking at, and without verbally communicating it, we moved quickly past the glasses in case outlining snake bite first aid. 

I do not love a snake, not even a little bit, but as I walked briskly away from the shed snake skin a recent conversation was brought back to my remembrance.

I had just come in from my morning quiet time.

“Oh I love a good snake bite!” 

The older Lady sitting next to me took a swig of her coffee.

Her eyes big as saucers she said, “Why?” Her “why” had three syllables and an air of disbelief and disgust woven within it.

Earlier that morning I had made my way to the outdoors for my quiet time just as the sun was illuminating the sky with dark pinks and yellows. The day was new and the sunrise over the lake promised that day to be a good one. It would be a day full of fun, just as the previous camp days had been good. Those days are days of smiles and laughter, boating, crafts, swimming, snacks and things good summer days are made up of.

I was sitting on the back deck, talking to the King when I spied a fast moving head in the water below. I thought initially it was a turtle having come to the surface for air and breakfast. I peered deeper into the clear water and realized it was a snake swimming as he crawled with a swiftness and silence that just barely broke the stillness of the water. 

I was telling my camp colaborers about the snake encounter as they drank their coffees. 

It was then I said the comment about loving a good snakebite.

Over the long career of pediatric nursing I have encountered many a snakebite victim. By the time I’ve met them, the snakebite victim is usually in the healing and recovery phase, and while they are still in need of anti-venom and subsequent lab monitoring they are mostly mending. 

It isn’t that I love that a kid has been bitten by a snake, I hate that. But it’s just I love a good story and those snake bite kiddos always have a good story. I tried desperately to explain this to my puzzled cohorts.

It was then I said a fact I knew and understood for quite sometime but had until that moment not fully wrapped my brain around the spiritual lesson.

“Crofab, the antivenom we typically give IV (intravenously) is made of sheep’s blood.” I’ve often wondered how that was discovered, and I love that in His wisdom and perfection the King designed the natural world in just such a way that the healing of an otherwise devastating, deadly, detrimental bite can be cured by the blood of the Lamb.

It amazes me that I’m His wisdom and in a foreshadowing in the everyday modern medical world God gives us a picture of redemption. 

The blood of the Lamb alone could cure the bite of sin from the serpent. Snakes aren’t my favorite, I avoid them if possible, the them being snakes for they are a reminder of that first mention of a serpent who tricked our first mom and dad into believing God was holding out on them. The first venom sting of the serpent, known as sin, reverberating throughout time causing pain and suffering to humanity, yet all along the Lamb would come to redeem and restore what the serpent tried to take.