Light from darkness

When we speak of darkness and light, it sounds like a contradiction. We know that Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the ‘Light of the world’. John 8:12. What then is the place of darkness? We all know that sense of walking in darkness during difficult and painful times in our life. Sometimes the situations that we find ourselves in seem hopeless, and we cannot see the way ahead. We wonder what we have done to cause it. At these times, we may identify with the psalmist of old who said, ‘The cords of death encompassed me … in my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God for help.’ Psa 18:4 -6.

These times of darkness were described by the apostle Peter in a different way. He spoke of these difficult times as being the fiery trial. ‘Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation’. 1 Pet4:12-13. Peter was drawing attention to our convoluted view of fire and our confusion about the place of suffering in our lives. ‘Do not be surprised!’ Fire is the action and imposition of God upon our lives. It is the thing God allows to break in upon us to change us and make us different people. You know the feeling when you’re going through a fiery trial - it’s just not pleasant. You’re not happy because it is not easy. If you can catch hold of the reason for fire and accept the place of suffering, it is going to transform your life.

If anyone was acquainted with darkness it was Abraham. He lived in the darkness of Ur of the Chaldeans, which is probably Baghdad, still a troubled area of the world today. This is where Abraham met God. In that place of darkness, the arrows of the Almighty penetrated his heart and called him. God spoke to him and said ‘go forth’ and he went out not knowing where he was going. He believed. The outcome of Abraham’s fiery trial was that he heard a word about his life. And the Scripture says, ‘He believed God and it was reckoned to him for righteousness’. Gen 15:6. It means that God gave him the substance of the thing he believed for. Abraham believed and he did not grow weak or weary in believing. God brought upon Abraham a ‘horror of great darkness’. Gen 15:12. But it was in the darkness that the Lord spoke to him about his life and made a covenant with him. In the same way, the psalmist rejoiced, ‘For You light my lamp, The Lord my God illumines my darkness’. Psa 18:28.

Jan Proud

Return to top

Feature Articles
June 2008

Sleepless nights

Alive to praise

How are we sent

Wonders for the dead

Faith for our children

The way of wisdom

Light from darkness

Giving to the end

Gathering all Israel