November 13th Devotional
On this day in 1850, Robert Lewis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh Scotland. Robert was an only child who was very ill. His fragile health even lasted into his adult years. He often missed multiple months of school. Because of this, he struggled with reading and the ability to make friends. He developed a love for writing despite his educational struggles. Stevenson would go to the University of Edinburgh to study engineering. Most of his father’s side of the family were lighthouse engineers and designers, but Robert found the classes quite boring and would often skip lectures. After college Robert became an atheist, which broke his parent’s hearts. During this time, he started to study law and was officially called to the Scottish bar in 1875, but he never practiced. The only thing that brought him fulfillment was writing. He became a household name with the swashbuckling adventure “Treasure Island” but his most famous novel was the “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The idea of this gothic horror novel came to him in a dream (more of a nightmare). Robert originally wrote the manuscript to the book in three days but his wife suggested that he make some changes. Robert, who was bedridden at the time decided to burn all the manuscripts, forcing him to start from nothing. He labored for six weeks on the book until it was finally sent to the publisher. The book skyrocketed in popularity and became one of Stevenson’s best-selling books. He would go on to publish 13 novels, 8 books on travel, countless collections of essays, poems, letters, and he even wrote over 120 musical pieces (some set to his own poems). Robert would tragically die of a stroke at the age of 44, leaving behind many unfinished pieces of literature.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a tale familiar to most of us. It follows the story of what seems to be two very different men. A man named Edward Hyde was a villain and murderer. The other main character is Doctor Henry Jekyll. Hyde would often commit violent crimes but Dr. Jekyll would have to bail him out. These events go on for quite some time in the book. Dr. Jekyll’s friends were flabbergasted by this. They thought that Hyde was blackmailing the good doctor. Finally, Doctor Jekyll’s butler informs his friends that Henry had locked himself inside his lab for weeks. His friends break into the laboratory only to find Hyde wearing Dr. Jekyll’s clothing. They find a note that gave a grim tale. The note detailed how Dr. Jekyll often battled the urge of good versus evil. He tried to repress these terrible urges. Thus he created a serum that would change him into Edward Hyde. His alter ego Hyde would then go on a spree of evil and violence. Eventually, Hyde started to take over without the serum. Dr. Jekyll determined there was only one way to be free; by tragically taking his own life. This fictional horror story has an all too real-life feel though. The story reminds us of the dangers when we allow sin left unchecked in our life. When we allow sin to domineer our life we will find that it would devour us. Our sin nature is a monster with a seemingly insatiable appetite. The draw of sin can derail a life of faithfulness. Think of how many people have thrown away their families, careers, ministries, or testimonies because sin had become such a dominant force. The Bible warns of us this in James 1:14-15, which says “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. That when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin: and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” Those are some very sobering words. Each Christian has an inner battle; the old man versus the new man, light versus darkness. It is quite literally a war, but it is a war we need to be aware of each day. We cannot afford to allow our sinful nature or our ‘inner Hyde” to control us. We need to regularly be in God’s Word and prayer. We cannot allow sin to grow in the darkness of our hearts. Dr. Jekyll’s battle with Hyde consumed him and destroyed him. Are you battling against the ‘inner Hyde?’
No comments:
Post a Comment