April 16, 2021
If you could find a quiet, hopeful spot, would it be a dark place or bright? Most of us would say, "a bright place of course!" A place flooded with light, where the darkness is driven out, and there's nothing but security. Right?
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But what about the darkness?
Frontal View
If asked the question, my answer might naturally be the same. What's top of mind when choosing between the light and the darkness is that light is safety, light is happy and good. But what's top of mind for us, because of past experiences or fear, is not always amazing. In fact, just for a moment, imagine the darkest place you've ever seen. As unpleasant a place as any, what if a blessing is found right there?
Consider moving your life to an unfamiliar place, driving unfamiliar roads, in hopes of an opened door to blessing. It takes courage and anticipation to hit the road! While some are clear and lighted stretches, some places are dark, long and isolated. In an unfamiliar place, these roads are frightening at night, with only darkness beyond your headlights. And to look in the rearview mirror? Dear God, there is nothing behind you but thick, relentless darkness. What might be out there? After all, you can not avoid what you can not see. Fear may consume your thoughts for a while, but as you continue, by God's graciousness over the twists and turns, revelation comes. That thick darkness eventually allows you to see that God is always present. In the darkest room, or on the blackest highway, light is a beautiful thing.
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David, with his knack for penning our thoughts and prayers, said it this way, "Thy Word, is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105. When I can see neither where I stand nor where I'm going, the Word of God comes like a lantern bursting through to save me. I know where to steady my steps, and, this is huge; that I'm on the right road! But David's discovery, like yours and mine, could only come from a dark place. It could only happen if darkness is behind you, in front of you, or both.
But there's something else. The path is forward. The light helps you move ahead. See, the blackness in your rear view mirror is frightening. You've already passed through it, and survived, but for a time, it may still grip you. What questions do you have about the rear view, about how difficult your past was before you drove away, or how looking back you can't see anything good? The only lesson is this. God our creator and savior, knows how to make the darkness fall behind, while He leads you forward. ~ Evangelist Tracey Cannon
