"Dispelling the Darkness"
Sep. 11, 2018
Let him who walks in darkness and has no light, trust in the Name of the Lord and rely on his God.
~ Isaiah 50:10b (ESV)
Walking in the dark can be scary. We can't see what's out there, or what might harm us. This summer at camp I came close to stepping on a copperhead snake. It was right in front of my tent door. Thank God, someone had a flashlight and saw it first.
There are times in our lives when we feel like we're walking in the dark. The days and months can be very dark after someone we love dies. I've noticed that even my physical eyesight seems somehow weaker, as if the light in the sky were turned down. I open windows and leave the light on even while I sleep; the darkness seems to creep into everything.
Other dark times include getting a diagnosis like cancer or stroke, losing a job, or having a marriage fall apart. The days can be terribly dark after something like that. We need light, we need hope. We need someone to walk beside us and be our strength and comfort.
Isaiah offers us this hope. He writes, "Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the Name of the Lord and rely on his God." God calls us to rely on Him whenever we are scared or grieving or frightened or worried. He will be with us; He will not leave us alone, to walk through the darkness without light.
Jesus' birth into this world in the flesh further reminds us just how much God wants us by His side, to give us light and hope and peace. The Savior says these words of comfort to us: "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12b). Please note, He doesn't just give us light, He is Himself our light.
And David says to God, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). He stays with us, close by our side -- even when we cannot sense Him there. He will not desert us.
When dark times come, let us cling to Jesus with all our might. He is the One who will uphold us and give us His strength and His tender care. Who better could we trust than the One who died and rose again for our sakes? Who is greater than the One to whom God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth? Nothing can take us out of Jesus' care, not death or grief or fear or darkness. He loves us dearly. Let us put our trust in Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, be with me in the darkness I face, and help me trust in You with all my heart. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Walking in the dark can be scary.
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