I set out to write another short story and ended up with a devotion that begins as if it were a story. It may speak to you or a situation in which you have found yourself at one point in life or another. We constantly battle a nature that is inherently corrupt....well, at least I do. The sin-nature will always attempt to pull us back into the dark state of the unsaved. This style of writing does not in the least reflect the life I live...only the life I am fully aware of. And thanks to the saving grace of Jesus I am able to write about it from the perspective of the redeemed.
What You See In The Dark
Darkness. Utter darkness. Something about its presence
becomes substance once the light has been removed. Something inherently evil.
Have you ever experienced a cave tour when, after reaching
the belly of the cave, your guide suddenly tells you to stop and be still, then
snuffs out the light? With the flick of a switch, or a puff extinguishing a
flame you are plunged into utter darkness. Darkness unlike anything you've ever
experienced. And at that very moment you are thankful silence does not
accompany the all-encompassing darkness; at least not then. The laughter, the
Ooo’s, the Ah’s, the twitters of nervousness, the exclamations of wonder at
seeing absolutely NOTHING are your only references to the fact that you are not
alone. The chatter of your fellow tourists and gravity maintain your only
perspective on lucidity. Without those references you would have no concept of
time and space; no hold on sanity.
Have you ever noticed in the dark pain is felt more
intensely? Suffering more agonizing? Loneliness more desolate? Darkness can be so cruel; an
enigma. It’s capable of giving and
taking – both on a grand scale. It robs dignity and gives worthlessness. It
steals sanity and fills the void with delusion. It crushes and provokes all at
the same time.
So, even though you may “see” nothing in the dark what you
experience can be frightful beyond measure. Because with the absence of light
darkness reigns unchecked, quickly filling the vacuum the absence of light
leaves behind like a flood.
Do you find yourself asking how do I resist this powerful
force of darkness and keep it from overtaking me? If it’s that powerful is it
even possible to stand against it? Or, maybe you are in a place of darkness
right now and feeling hopeless, worthless, fearful and incapable of fighting
battles. Battles which surely must be fought to break free from the crushing
weight of darkness. You may be thinking you are just too weary to lift the
weight of the armor needed to fight, or you are too exhausted even to run from
it. Neither do you need to run nor fight. You only need to be able to form upon
the lips of your heart one word…
JESUS
I (Jesus) have come as Light into the world,
so that everyone who believes in me
will not remain in darkness.
John 12:46
I (Jesus) am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
John 8:12
Submit to God. Resist the devil (darkness) and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
