The Darkness Is Not Dark to Him
“I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.” Isaiah 42:16b
There is nothing at camp that creates a lump in my throat like Opening Vespers (and no, it’s not because of Jimboy’s excellent rendition of Lindsey Woolsey). It is the process of one camper lighting another camper’s candle until the entire pavilion is lit with the glow of soft light reflecting the precious faces of the campers. A light that Jimboy reminds us is the light of Christ’s love for us…a love that takes the darkness of sin and destroys it forever.
My daughters are afraid of the dark. We have to leave a light on in the hallway if they are to feel comforted and safe. It’s the same with us with God. We feel darkness in so many ways in our lives – in the brokenness in our families, friendships, our failures, in not feeling good enough, our disobedience and the stress of constant pressures pulling us away from the choices we want to make, from the women we want to be. We need light.
Jesus tells us He is the Light of the world. How does that help me today?
It reminds my discouraged soul that though my own sin and the challenges of life weigh on me, Jesus has taken on the only darkness that I should really fear - the darkness of separation from Him - and absorbed all of it on the cross, so that I will never have to face that utter darkness.
He paid the penalty for ALL my sin and the sin of the whole world so I am free to walk in the light and not be afraid of my own failures and sin. I can admit I need His grace and am free to be fallen yet loved and TOTALLY accepted - because He was rejected for ME! The darkness is not dark to Him. He can handle it and he will “turn the darkness into light before me and make the rough places smooth”.
And He will do that TODAY. Whatever darkness you face. Just ask Him.
Prayer: Lord, please turn the darkness into light before me and make the rough places smooth. Help me to walk in the light as you are in the light. Amen