Do You Recognize The Darkness?

Do You Recognize The Darkness?
August 22, 2012 Lighthouse Network

August 22, 2012

Transformational Thought
We all have really bright shiny days when everything goes well and we feel on top of the world. But what about those darker days? They’re a lot tougher to describe and identify. You might be thinking, “What is he talking about? I know the dark days and can identify them pretty easily.”

Well, dark days can also be ones that are “neutral”. Often these are the seeds for future dark days. They are times when nothing seems great, earth-shattering, or even  memorable. Satan starts to play with our heads, getting us to think or believe we’re not special, that God doesn’t really love us … that God isn’t interested in our well-being … that God is sitting on His throne with a scorecard, keeping track of our mistakes.

Why do we fall for Satan’s tricks? The reason is that at our core we are insecure. We feel inadequate and have a constant need for approval. We need to feel important in this world or to someone. We want to be noticed and make our mark on each day. Neutral days highlight our fears that we aren’t important, that we’re not making a difference. They accelerate the negative-thought-merry-go-round we willingly jump on.

Growing in God’s grace is about trusting Him above all else, especially when we find ourselves in the darkness. Always trust God, whether it’s a truly dark day, or a neutral day that poises you on the slippery slope towards darkness. When you are in the dark, reach for His hand with confidence. Turn to Him. Resist hollow earthly solutions and addictions. Reaching for His hand in the dark is a display of magnificent trust. And it greatly weakens the spiritual forces of evil – the very forces that tricked you into pursuing the dark solutions. When your world is dark and you choose to trust God, His light will shine brightly through you for all to see … for His light shines brightest in the darkness.

Today, if you are in the dark and feel on the brink of giving up, cry out for His assistance. Just  pray, “Help me, Holy Spirit.” Really look for the hand that is reaching out for you … it is there. This brief prayer is a beautiful display of trust and a simple way to tap into His vast power. Learn to recognize the lies that take you from a neutral day to a dark day. Resist them and counter the lies with the truth and hope of God’s love, power, and sovereignty. Recognizing the darkness and reaching for God is your decision, so choose well.

Prayer
Dear Father, I am completely in the dark today. I’m scared and disoriented. I don’t know which way to turn. Help me, God. Help me, Holy Spirit. You have designed me to seek light. I crave all kinds of light … sunlight and even artificial light … but especially the light of Your holy presence. I want to walk in Your light, Father. It is easy for me to trust You when there is plenty of light in my world. But trusting You in my dark times is another matter. I am desperate, Lord. I am reaching for You in the dark. I know that Your light shines brightest in the dark. Even when I cannot see the illumination of Your light, I pray that Your light shining through me will be visible to those around me. I pray through Your Son Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say – AMEN! 

The Truth
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin  1 John 1:7

Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:10

Comment (1)

  1. Darcy Anderson 12 years ago

    Excellent devotion! I appreciate these daily encouraging words. They help me personally and I pass them along to friends. Thank you for your ministry and outreach.

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