Whichever road they treaded, lights flickered open. What they left behind slowly dimmed but didn’t completely embrace the darkness; somehow, remnants of their essence stayed to provide embers of light. What would happen if wherever they went, they kindled a fire? Would it die or shine forever?
The daughter of enmity rushed forward, the hem of her cloak sweeping the pavement beneath her. She led them into a ramshackle establishment, which was more ruin than building, as if it had been ravaged by war.
She opened a door tattered and boarded up — like it had been broken into multiple times — and ushered them inside a simple apartment, larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside.
Her eyes still strained at the sight of them, but it didn’t take long before she got used to their light. The iron maiden volunteered to look after the children while the warrior princess and the sentinel helped their host prepare a meal.
“I once was a daughter of light,” the daughter of enmity said as she brought out bread and butter from a well-stocked pantry. “I was a caretaker, tasked with looking after and further cultivating some of the most vibrant and breath-taking gardens you can imagine. In the kingdom of light, beauty and peace surrounded me. Here, my neighbors are hostile toward me. I am constantly derided and attacked.”
The sentinel’s brows creased. “Why?”
“I am the daughter of enmity. I am opposed by both light and darkness, and if I am to be honest with you, I can’t blame anyone but myself. It is my curse, one that I brought upon myself by the choices I’ve made.”
The warrior princess placed bread in a basket while the sentinel prepared a pitcher of milk. They exchanged glances, both perturbed by what their host was talking about.
“I don’t understand. How are you being opposed by both sides?”
Their host sighed as she transferred fruits from a basket onto a wooden bowl. “I am detested by citizens of this city for having once been a daughter of the light. They will show the same hostility to you, but it won’t be the same hostility they show me.”
“Why is that?” the warrior princess asked.
“You never dared believe you could be ruler of all, like I did. The prince of darkness once lied to me. He told me he loved me, cared about me, and if only I would leave the kingdom of light and serve him, I will be powerful, ruling the kingdoms by his side. I shouldn’t have believed him. The King of light has been good to me, but I gave in to the prince’s allure. I joined him in his city, and for a while, it satisfied me, but only as long as it took for the light within me to fade away and succumb to the darkness surrounding me. The prince threw me out. Without my light, I was no longer appealing to him. Just another one of his conquests.” She stared at the bowl of fruit between her hands and forced a smile. “I’m sorry. You did not travel all the way here to listen to my woes. Let us eat.”
With a lump in her throat, the warrior princess carried the bread and butter into the dining area, her heart broken over the daughter of enmity’s story. Surely, there was a way to restore her to the light! If there was, the warrior princess would find it!
Manna
Verses for Meditation
Eve — Cursed: “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Romans 8:7
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Author’s Reflections
We are, unfortunately, born into a world of enmity. This has been so since the day Eve believed the lie of the serpent and took a bite of the forbidden fruit. The world is growing hostile toward Christians, because the flesh seeks its own pleasure, its own satisfaction and fulfillment. It is against our sinful nature to follow the Word of God, and the enemy doesn’t hesitate to use this against us.
Yet, we have a God who gives us His shalom, His supernatural abiding nature if we only ask Him for it, if we only continue to seek Him and obey Him — by His grace alone! — and trust in His promise that we will overcome.
He has overcome the world. In Him, so can we.
This is from allegorical devotional, The Warrior Bride.