Monday, March 21, 2022
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2
Faith in Blinding Darkness
What could be worse than raging waters and fire? Darkness. Darkness can be worse. Pitch black with no light in sight. No light at the end of the tunnel. No hope of redemption. No chance of recovery. Blinding darkness, not blinding light. Blinding darkness is when your eyes hurt so bad from trying to see something, anything at all.
Sometimes having faith in this life that is so full of sadness, sin, and hardship is hard enough. Just the normal hardships of everyday life can take a toll, and then when we go through an especially tough time or a tragedy, it gets harder to keep our faith up. But throw in a tough situation that is really causing us to struggle and having faith can seem impossible.
I could say that we all have those times in life but the truth is that not everyone does. Not everyone will experience a time in their lives when they are in a situation where they see no end in sight to the heart breaking moments they are trudging through. The tunnel goes on forever and there is absolutely not a speck of light anywhere. The dark is suffocating and hard. If you have ever been there, you know what I mean.
These are the times we have to gather our faith up from nothing. It requires putting your life completely in God’s hands and walking with Him as He leads the way. Walking by faith, not by sight. I have been in this place and it is so hard to hand it over and say “Ok God. I don’t understand. You have allowed this for some reason and purpose. I don’t want to be here. I have asked you to change things and they have not changed. I have to humble myself before you and trust that you have a purpose in all this and I may or may not ever understand. “
When we can truly put our hand in God’s and walk with him into whatever He allows, we are walking by faith. We can’t see even a speck of light promising the end but God can. He knows everything and sees all. You may be in a place that you never thought you would be but God knows exactly what is going on and how it will all play out.
It takes the greatest faith of all to resolve to being in a place you might not want to be – but you understand that you are where God wants you to be. It takes great faith to be in that place and believe that God will sustain you and carry you through on His grace. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It requires full surrender to offer an admission of “God, please take it. Please help me to not be bitter but to love like you would and to focus on your plan in all this as you reveal it to me. I lay myself down and ask for you to use this for your glory, use me for your glory. Give me faith, strength, and help me to trust you to the end.” Not easy, but through the pain and suffering and blinding darkness comes glorious light eventually. Can you have enough faith to step out and trust that He has a reason for the pain or struggle in your life? You may not see it now but His glorious light is straight ahead.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:10
