~ written by Connie Dunmyer
Don’t you hate it when you have to get up in the middle of the night and in your effort to find the light switch, you inevitably stub your toe, or worse, trip over something? And so for lack of a nightlight, you find yourself hopping on one foot trying hard not to scream obscenities in the night?
Yeah – me too.
So while calming back down, head on my pillow, eyes wide open – my thoughts turn to the darkness that is all around me. I sleep best in pitch black darkness so I really can’t see anything. And it occurs to me that the only thing darkness is really good for is sleep. And while sleep is good for the physical body, it can be quite dangerous to the soul.
1 Thessalonians 5:5-8: You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Darkness is also where we go to hide. Hide from what? Well, from others (even God), to hide what we’re doing. Typically, after we’ve done things that we’re not particularly proud of, we tend to crawl back into bed to “sleep off” whatever it is that drove us there. We also crave darkness if we’re depressed. Again, trying to hide. Darkness is also a place of worry – which of course we know we’re not supposed to do – and so the darkness gives us a sense of “plausible deniability”. Been there, done that. I get it.
But as believers, we are called into the light. And that can be really scary. Light is honest. It shows every good thing – and every flaw. But as we’ve discussed before, honesty is where real change begins. Honesty with ourselves, and honesty with God.
Then as my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, my thoughts go to what can break up the darkness – even a small candle flicker. The tiniest nightlight can break up the darkness, and keep us from “stubbing our toes”, or “tripping over something” – even in our spiritual lives.
John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Acts 26:18: “…to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Whatever the reason for the darkness in our lives, all we need to do is ADD LIGHT and the darkness flees. It must. It has no choice. Darkness can NEVER overcome light!
So how does one add light to a very dark time?
Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path".
If I’d had a “lamp for my feet” – I would not have stumbled or fallen. If I’d had a light on my path, I would not have stubbed my toe. The Word of God is our light – in all situations and circumstances. I never cease to be amazed at how He speaks the right words at the right time to me daily. I also note that a lamp for my feet is for my immediate area. It’s not for down the road or around the bend. It’s just enough to see my next step, then my next, then my next, and so on.
Light is also life-giving. Sunlight provides our physical bodies with Vitamin D. Vitamin D is instrumental in boosting our immune system, thus helping to keep us from getting sick. Let’s transfer that to our spiritual lives. If the Word of God is light – then reading and absorbing it will boost our spiritual-immune-systems, thus keeping us from “getting sick”. I know how “sick” I can get (even physically) when I focus on the worry (or other darkness), rather than focus on the light.
Light deprivation can disrupt our circadian rhythms. Light helps regulate our body’s internal clock. Too much darkness can actually cause insomnia and thus make us fatigued. So again, if I miss out of God’s light – the light He has provided in His Word – I can get out of rhythm. I stop trusting. And soul fatigue just sounds really bad. But if I’m honest, I’ve been there too.
If I go without light for too long, light-deprivation can induce anxiety and even hallucinations. Whoa. Ok. So if I go too long without the Word of God – without giving my soul the nutrients of His light – I may actually look at my problems and hallucinate. Not that far-fetched. How easy it is when closeted in the darkness to hear noises that aren’t real – to think there’s no way out – to hear the devil’s taunts that I’ll never be good enough – to close my eyes to all that’s good around me and think there’s only bad – to believe a lie, rather than the truth.
2 Corinthians 11:14: “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
Sounds like hallucinations to me. Without a steady diet of light (the Word of God), I can actually be convinced that good is bad and bad is good… Satan can fool me when I’m in the darkness.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that although I may think I’m the only one in the darkness, that I’m the “only one” – I find that I’m not really alone. There are others in the darkness. Others who have stumbled, fallen, or at least stubbed their toes. And that when I share my light, I don’t actually lose any light. I don’t have less. In fact, light has now increased because someone else now has light. And then they share it, and there’s more and more and more.
Matthew 5:14-16, ESV: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
My physical eyes are getting droopy now. But my spiritual eyes are wide awake. I find the choice for my soul is simple. And it IS a choice. Light or Darkness. I will not stay in the darkness. I must open my eyes to see the light. I must choose God’s Word – His nightlight. No more "stubbing my toes."
Be sure to listen to TAYA's song, "Come Into the Light". I found it very powerful.
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