Return Stroke

The way that a lightning strike works is basically as follows: first, negatively charged ions build up in a storm cloud. This concentration of negative ions in the clouds repels or pushes away all of the negative ions in the ground (since similar charges repel each other) and this leaves the ground full of positive ions, and since opposite charges attract each other, the negative ions in the clouds are drawn to the positive ions in the ground, and vise versa. The storm cloud sends out little bursts of almost invisible lightning called stepped leaders searching to establish a channel to dump all of its negatively charged ions into the positively charged ground. At the same time, the ground is sending up little bursts of invisible lightning called streamers. When a stepped leader and a steamer finally sync up, all of the negative ions can flow into the ground (or whatever lightning rod or tree or incautious golfer is sticking to from the ground). This is the first part of the lightning strike, but this is still not the part that we see. Just as the cloud is trying to get rid of all of its negative ions, the ground is trying to get rid of its positive ions. After the initial lightning strike starting at the clouds and going down to the ground, there is the return stroke, which starts at the ground and goes back up to the clouds. This is actually the part we see. It all happens so fast that it looks like lightning is coming down from above, but the part we see is actually going up from the ground. This has been a long setup but I wanted to discuss how understanding how lightning works can help us to understand how revelation works. We often think that it would be so much easier if God simply zapped us with perfect knowledge, like a lightning bolt from the sky. But lightning is not light coming down from heaven to earth. It is light going up to heaven from earth. Revelation is the same. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17). God is constantly sending down stepped leaders of potential revelation and inspiration, but it is only when we exercise faith and do our Father's will that we send up streamers to connect with the stepped leaders so that we can unlock Heaven's light. If we are not doing everything we can to do our Father's will, then His word will fall upon us like seeds upon the wayside. Our faith and good works unlock the divine light of Christ that is already inside us which can then link up with the potential revelation that is pouring down on us from above creating that return stroke of incandescent brilliance. Revelation is not a one sided bestowal from our Heavenly Father to His children. It is a collaborative effort. I know that blindingly bright truth is already inside of us just itching to get out. I hope we can all send our return strokes up to heaven and let our light so shine before the world, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven.