The Dark Places of Life
As little children, we naturally tend to fear the darkness. Often a little child will want the comfort of a parent near until they fall asleep at night. We cuddle and rock a baby to sleep. Then, as toddlers we tuck them in, perhaps tell them a story. We pray with them and maybe sing them to sleep. Soon, they learn to trust that we are nearby and all they need to do is call and we will be there for them. They learn to fear less and trust more. They brave the dark because they learn to replace fear with faith, without even realizing it. They learn to trust that they will be okay in the dark time and that the light time will come again soon. Children grow and mature and as Christians, we are expected and taught by our Heavenly Father to do the same.
As adults, we learn that life can be very scary and dark even when the lights are on. Darkness is not merely the absence of light, in the common sense. Darkness represents uncertainty, danger, fear, the potential for painful things happening to us. Darkness represents vulnerability to our surroundings, a feeling of losing control over what happens next. It can be equated with evil oppression against our mind and soul (our will, intellect and emotions).
Darkness can be compared to feeling trapped and not able to see to find a way out of our circumstances. Darkness can be feeling alone and forgotten. Darkness can be being buried under a pile of crushing debt, darkness may be seemingly hopeless health issues. Darkness may be physical or verbal abuses we suffer. Darkness may be the feeling that no one understands us. The dark places of life are something that we all experience to some degree.
- In the Bible we see countless examples of God’s people in some dark places of life. Joseph suffered the dark places. (Gen. 37 – thrown in the pit by his family, Gen 39 falsely accused and cast into prison) Yet God delivered him!
- Elijah, right after a victory against the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, found himself in dark despair. His life was being threatened, he felt alone and depressed and was hiding out in a cave. He was ready to just give up. (I Kings 19:9-18) Yet God delivered him!
- Jeremiah, known as the weeping profit, was in several places of darkness and despair during his life time. One notable event is when he was cast into the kings dungeon, a pit with muck and mire in it. (Jer. 38:6…) Yet God delivered him!
- Daniel was taken captive, even cast into a den of man-eating lions!(Daniel 6:16) Yet God delivered him!
- The three Hebrew children Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace! (Daniel 3:19-…) Yet God delivered them!
- The Apostle Paul went through so many trials, yet God delivered him! Peter was cast into prison, yet God delivered him!
Perhaps our greatest example of someone who suffered the dark places of this life is our Savior Himself. Jesus Christ left the splendors of Heaven and walked among men. He was rejected, mocked, falsely accused, beaten and abused and finally murdered on the Cross of Calvary. He had delivered so many over the ages of time, yet He allowed Himself to be dragged through the deepest, dark places of life.
Jesus completely identifies with us when we are in the dark places of our life. We read that as He hung upon the cross everything became dark!
Mark 15:33 (KJV) And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. [34] And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
AND YET GOD THE FATHER NOT ONLY DELIVERED HIM FROM EVEN DEATH, BUT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WE TOO ARE ETERNALLY DELIVERED FROM THE DARKNESS OF THIS LIFE!!!!
Jesus Christ is referred to as the “light of the world” and the “light of life”:
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John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. •John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. •1 John 1:5 (KJV) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 (KJV) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. BUT He also told us this:
•Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Jesus sent His Spirit to dwell in His people. As believers, His light is IN us.
It is up to us to let Him shine in us and through us to light our way and to be a beacon of hope to a world struggling in darkness:
•Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.Without Jesus Christ as our Savior, whom the Word of God enlightens us about, we are full of darkness. People who speak contrary, or in disagreement with God’s Word do not have the Light in them!
•Isaiah 8:20 (KJV) To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah 8:20 (KJV) To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. People who have no direction in life are walking in spiritual darkness. It may be because they are saved, but not walking in His Light. Or it may be because they are lost and they have never known the LIGHT.
•John 12:35 (KJV) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
John 12:35 (KJV) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. When we find our self in a dark place, our first instinct is to turn on some light! Spiritually speaking, we must make that our first action to take in the dark places of life.
As believers, the light switch is PRAYER and the WORD OF GOD. When we pray and talk to God, giving Him our fears and our concerns, we will enjoy the entrance of His light! When we look to the Bible for help and encouragement we experience the entrance of light into our dark place!
•Psalms 119:130 (KJV) The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Psalms 119:130 (KJV) The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.•Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. •Psalms 13:3 (KJV) Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Psalms 13:3 (KJV) Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; We must make the effort to seek Him when we are in a dark place in life. Jesus Christ will deliver us from the dark places of life.
•Psalms 107:13-14 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. [14] He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
Psalms 107:13-14 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. [14] He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.•2 Samuel 22:29 (KJV) For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
2 Samuel 22:29 (KJV) For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. We not only have the promise of His light being with us to deliver us from the dark places of life, BUT we have the glorious promise that as Christians we will one day be in Heaven with HIM and guess what will never be in that glorious place?? DARKNESS will never happen to us again!!
•Revelation 21:23 (KJV) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation 21:23 (KJV) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. •Revelation 22:5 (KJV) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 22:5 (KJV) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.Look up the following verses and fill in the blanks:
Isaiah 9:2 (KJV) The people that walked in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the
Isaiah 9:2 (KJV) The people that walked in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the _ _ _ _ _ shined.
John 1:4-5 (KJV) In him was _ _ _ _ ; and the life was the _ _ _ _ _ of men. [5]And the light shineth in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:4-5 (KJV) In him was _ _ _ _ ; and the life was the _ _ _ _ _ of men. [5]And the light shineth in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ; and the darkness comprehended it not. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV) For God, who _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our _ _ _ _ _ _ , to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV) For God, who _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our _ _ _ _ _ _ , to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 
