Hello Darkness, My Old Friend
When is the last time you were in total darkness?
When it all goes black–what do you do? Reach for something to hold on to– a dresser, a wall, a handrail.
We want to hold on to something stable when things became scary.
Stumbling around in the darkness simply grabbing onto what can be felt is the image used in Ephesians to describe those without God.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
Ephesians 4:17–19
Darkened hearts stumble around grabbing for anything and everything.
The Christian now lives in the light of the glory of Christ and does not need to stumble around in darkness any longer!
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8–10
We don’t need to stumble our way through life grabbing for anything and everything that might stabilize our lives.
In the dark storm clouds of suffering, it can feel very dark.
Christians may go through seasons where they feel separated from God and the evidence of God’s presence and pleasure feels hidden.
When darkness returns, what is the Christian to do?
The impulse to stretch our hands out for anything and everything rushes back in.
When darkness falls, reach out… but reach in the right direction!
Don’t clamor for the nearest thing to put your hope in.
Stretch out your hands for God in prayer!
Psalm 88 is home to the famous line “darkness is my closest friend.”
There will be times where the believer can’t see much daylight of God’s goodness.
Even when you have very little to hold as a tangible expression of God’s love, hold out your hands in prayer!
Darkness may feel like your closest friend, but in prayer you can hold on to God’s love in the dark.