SEEING FURTHER IN THE DARKNESS
NOTE FROM BARNEY: My heart is filled with a mix of emotions. As I look through photo albums to find pictures for Linda’s celebration of life, a flood of memories washes over me—joy, sorrow, nostalgia, sentimentality… The Lord continues to meet me more intimately than ever in the midst of my struggles. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. Please mark the date for Linda’s memorial on January 20 at 11 AM at Santa Rosa Christian Church.
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A fifth-grade teacher asked her students, “When can you see further, in the daytime or at night?”
The answer seemed obvious. “Of course, during the daytime.”
“No,” she replied. “You can see further in the darkness. In the daylight, you can see a few hundred yards. But in the darkness, you can see the stars, billions of miles away. The stars are always present, even in the daylight. But it takes the darkness to open our eyes to see them.”
Let that soak in. Some things can only be “seen” in the throes of spiritual darkness. I’m not talking about living on “the dark side,” but those dark days of adversity we experience. In the darkness of suffering, we see our need for a Savior. We experience intimacy with God we’ll never know on bright sunny days of spiritual ease. Dark days put life in perspective and rearrange our priorities. Soak in those sunny seasons of spiritual delight, but also embrace the vision dark times bring.
Psalm 107 depicts four scenarios of individuals in spiritual darkness: nomads wandering in the desert, those in prison, fools who had lost everything, and sailors in a storm. Verse 10 states, “some sat in darkness.” In the midst of this darkness, they “cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of the darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains” (verses 13-14). On our worst days, God meets us where we are with what we need. These seasons don’t last forever. Look for the stars as we stare into the darkness.
Coping with Linda’s death at times brings darkness to my heart. Times when I feel lonely and empty inside. Times when I bury my face in my pillow and sob. But—here’s the beautiful thing—during these times, God meets me in new ways and overwhelms me with his love, as I’ve never experienced before. I feel so grateful for life’s simple blessings. I can see further in the darkness than I can in the light. It’s a weird paradox. When we embrace dark times, we experience the light God brings.
We all take our turns in days of darkness. But during those times, when we cry out, God meets us. He touches us with his hand of love. And he opens our eyes to see further in the darkness than we could ever see in the light.
Principle: We can see further in times of darkness than we can on spiritually sunny days.
Ponder:
How would you describe your current situation: bright and sunny, overcast, a brewing storm, or darkness?
How does knowing you can see further in the darkness help you cope with life’s struggles?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Psalm 107.
Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for meeting me during my dark days with the comfort of your presence. Help me to seek you more during those dark times.