What
is it about being in the dark that we are so uncomfortable with? We know that
God is sovereign, He is in control and that He can do only good
according to His purpose. But still, our hearts yearn to be in the light where
we can see, where we can understand our surroundings and feel like we have some
sort of direction or control over our life. Darkness makes us feel abandoned,
forgotten, misplaced and even, at times, unloved. Our hearts wrench within us
crying out to the Lord: “where are You, God? Do You not care anymore? I cannot
see You, I cannot feel You, I feel alone. God, where are You?” We have no idea
what God is doing during this season of spiritual dryness and darkness. Reading
Scripture seems to become more and more of a chore and prayer ceases altogether
as we slip into a lonely depression while we wait in the darkness. Waiting for
a light, a voice, a touch…something to prove that we are not alone and were
not alone and that there was, somehow, a reason for our dark time. As we
struggle to move forward in life, we attempt to understand our purpose for
life, but nothing seems to fit us. There is this invisible wall that we keep
slamming into and falling pitifully to the ground. In ignorance of this wall’s
existence, we pick ourselves up and march headlong into the wall again only to
fall once more. We seem to find ourselves going around in circles…and who
wouldn’t? There is no light. There is no direction. There is no hope. Just
darkness. Confusion. Loneliness.
What
is it about being in the dark?
God is
the Master Gardener. He knows every existing plant and knows just how to grow
them. God knows that He must put that tiny seed into the ground and let it sit
in darkness for a time before it can grow into a mighty tree. There is
incredible growth that takes place in darkness for a seed. The seed is at the mercy of the Master
Gardener, not knowing everything that it must go through in order to become the
tree that God has in mind. But it endures. It endures the pounding rain, the
harmful underground bacteria, the hungry birds and all the while it grows. If
it is strong in the dark, slowly the seed begins to see the light and realizes
that a miraculous transformation has taken place. It is no longer just a little
seed, but something powerful, something more, something better, something that
God had intended…as long as it endured in the dark.
What
lessons we can learn from this little seed! We see being “buried” and covered
up as difficult living quarters, God carefully selects the ground that He
plants us in. We see no action taking place and wasted time, God knows of the
growth we will undertake as we are in darkness. We see darkness and seeming
confusion as a bad place to be, God knows that this is the best place for us at
this moment in our lives because He will grow us into something even better. We
see hopelessness and no end, God sees beauty that will last an eternity.
Being
in the darkness and not understanding is a difficult place for us to be…but let
us take time to consider the growth that we are going through by the actual
hands of God by being in the dark. If God takes time to make sure a tiny seed
is planted in just the right soil and grows to fruition how much more so is He
concerned for His precious children’s growth and development. Sometimes God has
to put us in the dark in order for us to see the light more clearly. And once
we emerge from the darkness, we get a glimpse of ourselves and realize that God
has done an amazing work in our hearts. Yes, it is difficult to be in the dark.
It is uncomfortable. We feel as if we will never understand our true purpose
and that surely God has left us. Isn’t it incredible how we have these feelings
at the very time that God is the closest to us, shaping and molding us into the
powerful, godly men and women that God envisioned us to be! Remember that feelings can
come and go and even our faith can be strong and then wane. But the exciting
truth is: no matter how we view God, He always continues to be Himself.
God will always continue to be faithful even if we feel abandoned. God will
always continue to be sovereign, even if we don’t understand. God will always
continue to love, even if we feel unloved. God will always continue to be there
in the darkness with us, even if we can’t see or feel Him.
My
dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast. Even if you feel the pangs of
loneliness or are discouraged by the continual darkness, remind yourself that
God is there. And if God is there, He is working out His plan and purpose in
you in a very special way. Remember that darkness is where we can grow.
Remember that God will never leave you in that darkness a moment longer than
necessary. Remember that Satan loves to torment us into thinking that we came
to be in this darkness by our own doing, or that it is a punishment by God.
Speak the truth into these lies. Remember that you are in the darkness because
of God’s plan for you. And remember that God only invests in those who are
worthy of His kingdom…like you!
May
God show Himself to you in a real way as you continue to be strong during this
time of darkness. God will never forget what He has planted, whether it be a
seed, or one of His dear children. Grow in the grace and spirit of the Master
Gardener.
There
IS light just ahead.
