Many of us, during our childhood years, played the game, “Simon Says,” either in school, or outside of school with our friends and/or siblings. The rules of the game were simple enough. One person stood at the front as Simon, and everyone else lined up some distance away, facing Simon. Whatever Simon instructed the players to do, they had to do it, with the goal of being the first one to reach Simon, thus winning the game, and becoming the next one to be Simon. Instructions might be “Simon says take 2 giant steps forward” or “Simon says hop on one foot five times.” Now, if the players are given instructions that are NOT preceded by the words, “Simon says,” and they follow the instructions, they must go back to the starting line. If the players are given instructions that begin with “Simon says,” and fail to do what they’re told, they’re out of the game.

While it seems simple enough, you’d be surprised at how easily one can be tricked into following instructions that don’t come from Simon. There are times when my life feels like one big game of “Simon Says,” with God at the helm as Simon. While I have God always with me giving me nudges and guidance in His own form of “Simon Says” instructions, the adversary is shouting his own instructions, always lacking the required “Simon Says” aspect. Just as it was when I played the game as a child, I find myself easily duped into following the wrong set of instructions because I failed to pay attention and verify the authenticity of the guidance I was being given.

Satan’s promptings and lies will never pass the authenticity test. He is a fabulous imitator, and can weave a blanket of lies over our minds as intricate as a spider web. However, this blanket is also as fragile as a spider web. We have but to hold it up to the word of God, giving it the “Simon says” test, and it will fall apart and be swept away as easily as a spider web can be cleared away with a feather duster. Do not be fooled, though, that one quick swipe will eliminate the web from our lies. Much like the unexpected spider web we walk through face first, Satan’s lies can cling to our minds if we aren’t careful to sweep away all traces without delay.

Just as spider webs are spun in the gaps…gaps of doorways, gaps of window frames, gaps between support beams in an attic…the enemy is most successful in his attacks because he hides in the gaps of our lives. When we have a falling out with someone we love, he is very active in the gaps of silence that grow when we refuse to address an issue head on, bringing it into the light of God for His healing and resolution. When we spend our time spinning a problem around and around in our minds, letting it fester in our dark places, Satan is there in the gap, making the issue appear larger and more daunting than it is in reality. We must choose to fill our gaps with the light and life of Christ, for wherever He dwells, the enemy has no foothold.

Choosing to take our problems to God in prayer, spending time with His word, making a point of talking things out with those we’ve hurt or those who’ve hurt us…all of that is how we shine light into our gaps, and all of that is how we are listening for God to say, “Simon says” to our hearts. Sometimes the only direction God can give us is, “Simon says not now…not yet…just wait.” Though this feels frustrating and often illogical, we must listen and obey. In our gap of impatience, the enemy is there, tossing out his own instructions left and right. If we are not able to wait on God’s timing, we will easily take whatever is being thrown at us, and forget to listen for whether or not “Simon says” was included.

In today’s sermon, our pastor spoke of how God is there, reaching out to the people in the margins of life. He spoke of how God places just as much value on those living in the fringes of society, as on any of those considered more important, by society’s standards. He talked about how an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in a field to proclaim the arrival of the Savior, as opposed to more prominent members of the community. During that point in time, shepherds were considered the lowest of the low, too unclean to participate in the requisite religious practices. Yet, God chose to send His angel to them…God chose to send shepherds to be the first to see the Messiah. What this tells me is that NOBODY is too out of range for the hand of the Lord to reach them. Nobody is too dirty, too poor, or too anything for God.

Simon says, “Fill in the gaps with the light of God.”