EVEN in the MIDST of the DARK, the LIGHT of GOD SHINES!
There is so much darkness within this world. The sun can be shining brightly in the sky, and still, the darkness lurks. Darkness. So Black that one cannot see his hand placed in front of his face. I was there—once—in the darkness, but praise God, I no longer reside there. Maybe you too. Maybe together, we once walked daily through the daytime darkness, never pausing to see the Light, but walking just the same—in the dark. Then, over time OR suddenly, we were introduced to the Light, and we knew the truth—we no longer had to walk IN THE DARKNESS FOR THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD HAD TAKEN AHOLD OF US!
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Wow!
Jesus Christ was sent so we could have life eternally, so we could know Him who sent Jesus into this dark world. Jesus came so we could have life—light-filled, eternal-lasting, heaven-sent, everlasting LIFE.
- Have we claimed it—this life?
- Have we accepted Jesus—the Light of the world?
- Have we looked around us, seen the darkness that surrounds us, and turned to follow the light?
- Have we chosen to walk with God, only to pause, to peer back, looking over our shoulder, peering back at the dark, remembering the desires of the dark? Maybe we even turned back toward the dark and taken a few steps toward the darkness of the world.
- Have you? Have I? Have we?
Jesus knew we would struggle to walk in the Light; Jesus knew we would need a Helper.
The apostle John records the words of Jesus as He speaks with His disciples in the brevity of time before His betrayal, arrest, torture, and crucifixion. That’s right, the Son of God knew His followers would be frightened, even scared for their own lives, and so Jesus reminded them that they would not need to EVER walk alone. NEVER WALK ALONE, EVEN in the MIDST of the DARK, EVEN THERE, the LIGHT of GOD SHINES!
See with me the words of Jesus.
“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
and concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
(John 16: 5-11)
Years ago, when my husband was deployed to Iraq, my daughter (young at the time) went spelunking with a guide. We loaded up in our vehicle, dressed in our oldest jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and tennis shoes we owned—just so we could belly-crawl inside the deep cavern of the cave. Sheila tried to prepare me for the darkness of the cave. “This is not like Mammoth Cave. There is no electricity within this deep cave. We will need to bring with us some lights and some hard hats to protect our heads.
Belly-Crawling.
Crawling Toward the Darkness.
Hard Hats Protecting Our Heads from the Rock Header-Ceiling.
Hand-Held Flashlights.
In my mind, I remember thinking, “I hope my batteries are brand-new; I hope my light doesn’t go out while inside the cave.”
The day was so sunny. I remember it well as we drove west on I-64, headed toward Carter County. Sheila and I met through our husbands (the husbands who were now deployed together to the Middle East). Did I trust my guide? Did I trust my light? Did I trust—enough—so that we would return safely to see another day when this spelunking journey was complete?
Did I trust? Such a simple question; yet a HUGE question at the same time.
We arrived and parked. Then we donned our hard hats and I grabbed my flashlight and gave one to my young daughter.
“Would Darrell think this was a good idea, a pleasant and safe way to spend a Saturday?” I wondered. Sheila wore a special hat, one with a spelunking light attached to her hard hat.
I remember that day so well.
I remember the brightness of the sun.
I remember the queasiness in the pit of my stomach as we first walked into the mouth of the cave, leaving the light, entering the dark, walking on, following the sound of Sheila’s voice.
“Does she remember the way,” I remember thinking. Sheila had attempted to alleviate our fears before we began, reminding us how she had served as a guide for many years. There was just a few of us spelunking that day, maybe six, maybe seven.
We walked just a short while, then Sheila called out, “You will need to get down and crawl.”
It was so black, so dark inside that cave.
We crawled, moving ever so slowing, following the sound of Sheila’s voice.
My daughter crawled directly behind me, even though I was not sure that was the best place for my elementary-aged daughter to be. If she crawled in front of me, she may not turn the right way, but if she crawled behind me, she might not follow well.
So, I remember how I crawled, called out over my shoulder to her, crawled on, stopped to reach back, just to make sure she was safely there—right behind me.
At one particular place, we paused in our crawls, and I remember bumping my nose into the backside of the spelunker crawling there in front of me. Sheila called out, “Stay far to the left. Do not move toward the right.”
“Why, I wondered?”
Soon I knew why. We stopped during our crawl, and Sheila called out, “Lean slightly toward your right, but not too far right.”
So I did—lean right, and suddenly, I leaned back and told my daughter as I grabbed her small arm.
“Don’t lean right.”
The floor of the cave was absent when my flashlight shone into the dark void whenever I had leaned right. A Deep Black Cavern of Emptiness.
Thank goodness we had the voice of Sheila guiding us away from the depth of the darkness.
Thank goodness we were not left alone to find our way.
Thank God. Yes, thank GOD, we crawled on to reach the end of our hand and knee-crawling, to stand, and to walk. That day, Sheila proved to be an experienced guide. We arrived safely back to our vehicles. We had survived our first real experience of “spelunking.”
- I clearly remember that Saturday as we walked toward the light at the mouth of the cave.
- I clearly remember the brightness of the sunlight.
- I clearly remember how I was so thankful for the LIGHT.
- I clearly remember how I was so thankful for our GUIDE.
Jesus said, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
(John 16: 12-15)
Happy Trinity Sunday.
Thank You—God!
Thank You—God—for You!
Thank You—God—for Sending Us Your Only Son!
Thank You—God—for Sending Us Your Holy Spirit!
Thank You—God!