“The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” Psalm 139:12

In the Dark

Walk His Way Revisited
First Posted in June, 2014

Do you keep a flashlight by your bed? I do. I’m one of those people who trips over stuff in the dark. I have to turn on the light in a room to do anything at all. I would never attempt to do anything dangerous in the dark.

But God does some of His best work in the dark.

The beginning of His creation of all things was in the dark. Genesis 1:2 says, “…and darkness was on the face of the deep.”

Babies grow in darkness. “You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

Jesus was resurrected in the darkness of the night. “…Mary went to the tomb early, while it was still dark…” (John 20:1).

He calls to us from the darkness of our own lives. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

I have been in deep, dark underground caves where you truly could not see a single thing. I had no body awareness, meaning I did not know how close my own hand was to my face. I could not will myself to take a single step in any direction, not knowing if I would trip and splat on the ground, or if I would turn and scrape myself on a jagged wall. This is utter darkness.

Every one of us can point to a difficult time in our lives when it seemed that dark—a time when we could not see where to turn, what our next step should be, or if our next step would cause us to fall or hit the wall. It is a scary, disconcerting time when we feel not quite ourselves, off balance, uncertain, and blind.

What we perceive as darkness, though, does not seem dark to God. “The darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Psalm 139:12). He can work just as well, and He can see just as well, in darkness as He can in light.

We have exceedingly precious promises regarding what God will do in our dark places.

2 Samuel 2:29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.”

Psalm 107:14 “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.”

Isaiah 42:16  “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.”

How do we live in the light and not in the darkness? We abide in Him. 1 John 1:5 says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” What a glorious place to settle down and live!

If you are not walking through a dark time right now, please pray for those who are.

And if you are walking through the darkest time of your life, please know that you are the Beloved of the Lord. He is working to bring you out into His marvelous light.

Lord, lead these precious women safely out of this time of confusion, fear, or pain, and make their way straight. Lead them while they cannot see. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.