John 1:5 “ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” Today's episode reassures us that the darkness we feel will not overcome us. It will not consume us. God will save us. When we are in the darkness, God will send us spots of light every single day. However, if we aren't looking for them, we might miss them. It also talks about how it is okay to talk with God about our emotions. He can handle them, and when we release them to Him, then He can start to heal them. Music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The Darkness Will Not Overtake You!
John 1:5 “ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”
I read this the other day on someone’s Facebook post and knew I had to use it. I know so many of us need to hear this right now. The darkness you are feeling will not overtake you. This is one of those verses we need to write on a sticky note or an index card and place somewhere we will see it often. I feel like there are so many verses in the Bible for us to stand on when we struggle. I was just thinking it would be nice to have a handy book or list of them, and then we can pull out the ones we need when we need them. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of these little books called “Book of God’s Promises” or something like that. I believe it has verses broken up into categories. Although you don’t even have to buy a book, you can do a quick internet search of Bible verses for your struggles. For instance, Bible verses about anxiety, worry, fear, or whatever the struggle is for you.
I wish every single person who is struggling with the darkness right now knew that they would come out of it. I wish they knew it wouldn’t last forever. I know several people who were in a deep pit of despair and darkness, and now they are out of it. While they were in it, they didn’t know it wouldn’t consume them. They didn’t know there was a way out. When you are alone in the darkness, you can’t see anything. I just got this image of trying to find my bed at night after turning the bathroom light off. I walk very slowly, usually with my hands out so I can feel the things that are in front of me. I always make it to my bed, and I usually do it without getting hurt. Although, sometimes, I do stub my toe or run into the corner of the bed or something.
The difference is I have walked in my bedroom most days for the past eight years. I have walked around my bedroom in the light and in the dark. I know where everything is located. It is not the same as walking in the darkness in unfamiliar territory, like when I stay at a hotel or something. Oftentimes, when we are walking in the darkness that life brings, we don’t know the way. It is all unfamiliar to us. Even if we have been in a similar situation before, the darkness that comes with it can be different each time. Sometimes, you might be angry. Other times, you might be sad or anxious. When this happens, you don’t know what to do. You just feel alone and lost. You walk around with your hands out, trying to feel your way through life. Actually, when you are in the darkness of life, you might be trying hard not to feel your way through life.
Sometimes, we don’t want to feel because it hurts too much! We would rather turn off our emotions or stuff them down deep so that they can’t hurt us. I get that. Feeling our emotions makes us feel vulnerable. Our society isn’t super accepting of emotions. Also, because we live in a broken world, we might have been hurt many times when we have allowed our emotions to be seen or even to be felt. Has this happened to you? Have you shut off your emotions at times because they just hurt too much? If so, I know what that feels like. I know why you did it, and it was your mind trying to protect you. What God wants you to know now is that you can always feel safe sharing your emotions with Him.
You never have to hide them or keep them from Him. Sometimes, we might want to because we are ashamed of our emotions. For instance, if we have been waiting and praying for something for a long time, and it seems as though our prayers have gone unanswered, then this might make us angry or disappointed with God. However, we don’t think this is acceptable. Aren’t we supposed to be grateful for all that we have? Aren’t we supposed to give praise and thanksgiving in all things? If we are angry with God, how can we give praise and thanksgiving? How can we be grateful when it seems like our prayers are not being answered?
God doesn’t mind when we are mad at Him. If there is anyone who understands anger, frustration, and things not being fair, it would be Him. We saw Jesus get angry when He walked the earth. Remember when he turned the tables over in the temple? I am pretty sure Jesus knows what it is like for things not to be fair. He was crucified for our sins, not His own. I don’t think God minds when we are angry at Him. When we finally admit it, when we release that anger and share it with Him, He can start to heal our hearts. When we hide it from Him, He can’t heal it because He respects our free will. He won’t force Himself on us.
If you are in darkness right now, take a moment and think about what you are feeling. Have you talked to God about it? Have you been truthful to God about what you are feeling? Do you even know how you feel about God? Maybe you aren’t sure. Maybe you are confused because you love Him, and yet you feel abandoned by Him. I had a friend ask me once if I knew what it felt like when I expected a loved one to do something for me. I was sure they were going to do it, and then they didn’t. I told her yes. She said this is how she was feeling about God right now. She realized it wasn’t as much anger as it was disappointment. God can handle our anger, He can handle our disappointment, He can handle whatever it is we are feeling. We need to share it with Him, though. We need to ask Him for help dealing with it. We need to give Him permission to come in and heal all the pain.
If you are walking through darkness right now, please hear me when I say that IT WILL NOT OVERCOME YOU! God is right there with you, taking each step. He is shining a light, and His light can penetrate the darkness, but you have to look for it. What is one tiny piece of light in your day today? If you look for it, you will find it. Was it sunny today? Did you get a green light just when you needed it? Did a friend say hi today? Did you see something in nature? Was your cup of coffee or tea extra good today? What is that one bright spot in the darkness? The more you are on the lookout, the more you will find.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, help us to find the light in the darkness. Help us to feel your presence in the darkness. Help us to understand that no matter what it feels like, this darkness will not consume us. It will not overcome us. Help us to know in the depths of our souls that you will save us. You will bring us out of the darkness. Lord, help us to share our emotions with you. Help us to be honest with you. We love you, Lord. Help us trust you. You are amazing, and you are with us always. We are so grateful, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I want to remind you to check out the details about the retreat I am hosting. If you are able to come, then I look forward to hanging out with you and sharing an amazing weekend together. If you can not come this time, I hope you will join me in the future. I have a link in the show notes for retreat info, or you can go to Walkboldlywithjesus.com. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow! Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!