We usually associate darkness with fear or with very bad problems. Someone said to me one time, “I am at a very dark place at the moment.” She was going through so many difficulties.
Darkness to you may have to do with uncertainty or lack of direction in your life or with a broken dream you once had.
Gloom and doom and maybe even death may also come to mind with the words ‘dark place.’ Like me, I’m sure you’ve heard people tell of out of body experiences that described going through a dark tunnel with a bright light at the end.
Your ‘dark place’ may be totally different than my ‘dark place’ but all dark places have something in common, they are not a fun place to be in.
A mindset change is required to make your dark place bright and new.
An Old Testament man named David experienced many severe trials and dark places but he wrote something that gives us insight into how he overcame all,
“Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, You’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” Psalm 139:7-12, MSG
David was sure that anywhere was never somewhere far from the love of his God.
Sear this statement in your mind and never, ever forget it: The One who loves me most is always by me.
Please allow me to add one more Bible verse to this line of thinking. The apostle John wrote,
“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1John 1:5, NASB
So… since the Lord is always with me, and He is light, how could I ever be engulfed in darkness? With the Lord by our side, dark places should never happen. It’s a mindset and an attitude that must become our mental ‘go-to’ for all times.
I know, I know… you’re thinking, “Easier said than done, buster!” I’ll give you that, but let me also give you a visual to help solidify this truth in you. Before we entered that abandoned mine, our guide showed us a board just outside the mouth of that dark tunnel (picture below).
Imagine God having a tag with your name on it up in heaven, but your tag is heart-shaped because of how much He loves you. With today’s technology it would be more like an icon with your face on it (or your emoji) that pings before Him wherever you are. Remembering that God’s aware of our whereabouts every moment of every hour of every day, makes all the difference in the world.
How about next time you feel like you’re heading down that dark path you pray something like, “God, you know how I’m feeling, but the Bible says that you’re a God of light. Will you light up my life right now and help me see beyond this fog? In the name of Jesus, lift my Spirit up, Lord!”
Please understand that I am not trying to oversimplify how to overcome a deep rooted ‘dark place.’ Some need professional counseling to overcome where they are or have been. But the right mindset can help a great deal. Just know that God is always there! He was you when you failed the exam. He was there when the break-up happened. He was in the room when the doc gave the bad news. And He will be by your side when you close your eyes for the last time. That’s seriously comforting.
Oh… one more thought, God will also be immediately with you on the other side to welcome you to your new heavenly home for eternity. When that’s your mindset, the world is a brighter place to live in.
Thanks for reading! Please leave me a comment.
Great read!!! Very comforting to know He is ALWAYS there not matter how dark of a place we may be in.
Thank you, Sara! And…Amen to that!!
How comforting it is to know that Jesus is ALWAYS with us, wherever we are, whatever we are going through! As members of His family, we are in His unbreakable grip! He will never let us go!
After reading your blog, Jorge, I was reminded of Psalms 23, and experienced a fresh new insight as I read that Psalm again.
Thank you, Brother!
Fantastic! Thank you, Jim!