Darkness, in its simplest definition, is just the absence of light. Darkness is not a force in and of itself just like cold is the absence of heat not a force unto itself.
Darkness can also be something not yet revealed. It can be knowledge not yet discovered. It can be wise sayings, dark in the sense that it is not that well known. It can be something we need to ponder, and dig deeper to understand.
“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”—Psalms 78:2
“Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?”—Psalms 88:12
“To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”—Proverbs 1:6
The night that comes at the end of the day is usually welcomed for it signals the end of a rough day and a time to relax and sleep. Even night used as a metaphor for the end of life will one day be a welcome thing for a long-lived life, especially for those who have accepted eternal life in Jesus Christ. We certainly do not need to fear the darkness.
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. “—Proverbs 3:24
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.”—Psalms 91:1-5
It can be a place we go to hide ourselves when we do sinful things. At least we think we are hiding it. We think we are being clever and imagine that even God can’t see us, like Adam and Eve, when deep down we know he sees all things.
“Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? And who knoweth us?”—Isaiah 29:15
“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”— Hebrews 4:13
“Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 23:24
“Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? And who knoweth us?”—Isaiah 29:15
Sometimes it is a smart thing to hide. Just beware where you hide yourself. Even Jesus said when we pray we should go into a closet (Matthew 6:6). Sometimes we need to break away from the busyness of life and go to nature to get away or a place like a closet we have consecrated for this purpose. The great mother of John Wesley did not have this luxury raising children and keeping a busy household so she would just sit and throw her apron up over her head and the children eventually learned not to disturb her when they saw her hiding beneath her apron. Our busy thoughts sometimes need to get away from all the distracting voices in our heads. Meditation and prayer can be a sanctuary. We need not fear the darkness for even the darkness is light to God. And sometimes we have to seek a ‘dark’ place to get away from all the distractions and shut out everything but His presence.
“Enter the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.”— Isaiah 2:10
“Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course.”— Isaiah 26:20
“Be still and know that I am God.”—Psalms 46:10
There is a teaching in Buddhism called Yin and Yang. It acknowledges that we all have a dark and light side. It is about balance. Not denying that you have a dark side but recognizing it as an energy that can be channeled for good or evil.
Darkness does not necessarily mean evil. True, it can be a metaphor for evil but that is not the darkness I am emphasizing here. For example, anger is a darker emotion but it can be channeled to be angry enough at a wrong thing and we channel that anger, redirect it, to cause us to do something good, as in raise awareness in a social cause or do something to protect the innocent. Yes, recognize the evil one before he does damage to your life but don’t fear darkness. Rather, turn it around and channel it to strengthen you and do good rather than weaken you.
Sometimes we do not truly meet the God of love and light whose name is Truth until we meet him in the darkness. He is Lord of the darkness and of the light.
- “And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord“Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?”—Amos 5:17,20
- Apostle Paul had to be stricken with blindness so that he could see the true light (Acts 9:1-19).
- Sometimes the difficult circumstances we go through today reveal a truth that could not be revealed or received until we view the circumstances through God’s divine plan for our lives.
- Read the story of Joseph. One minute his Father’s favorite son, the next thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, imprisoned for crimes he did not commit, forsaken by family and friends, seemingly forgotten and forsaken yet from the darkness God promoted him until he was second in the land of Egypt only to Pharoah himself. One day when famine was in the land God showed Joseph how to store up enough food for all of Egypt and surrounding lands. One day when his family bowed before him begging for food he could have held them selling him into slavery against his brothers but instead, he realized that God had a plan all along and even proclaimed, “But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” —Genesis 50:19-21
- Apostle Paul even echoes this in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
In fact, it is in the dark that we seek and find the true light in a way we cannot find any other way. Think about it. What do you do when find yourself in darkness and fear and your life seems like it is falling apart and even what the pastors and preachers and prophets say doesn’t seem to help…
- “Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.”—Micah 3:6
- Have you ever been there? I have. When my first wife forsook me, when I found myself raising a three-year-old and seven-year-old on my own, when I lost a job of 17 years and then found out that my wife and I both had cancer. Talk about darkness all around. Yet in the darkness I was never even once without light. God is light. He is a light that is so intense that there is not even a shadow….“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.“ —James 1:17
God is our shelter from the storm. Our strong tower. Our refuge and strength. What do you do when you are surrounded by darkness? Do you curse the darkness or light a candle? The smallest match dispels even the greatest darkness. Sometimes a small light is all it takes to find our way. Remember darkness has no power in and of itself. It is the absence of light. Sometimes we need to supply our own light by reminding ourselves how he has been faithful and that He can be trusted. Read about Job. There was a man who lost everything except his life and it was plagued with boils all over his body and friends and a wife who said he should curse God and die. But instead, he boldly proclaimed, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19:26.
If we are honest we have to admit we create most of the darkness we have ourselves. Then we focus on it until we see nothing but the darkness. But even the smallest light can be a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path (Psalms 119:105).
Click on this LINK for a short story I wrote to illustrate and as you read it let it speak the power to you to embrace the Holy One even in the darkness for is it not written “Behold I give unto you the power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”—-Luke 10:19 and Isaiah 54:17, which states, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.”
Don’t fear the darkness. Channel it for good.
And finally, let me conclude with this poem I wrote. Remember and enjoy and grow from your journey in life and do not focus on the darkness for there is a great light within.
Even the darkness is not dark to you,
You whose name is righteous and true.
Darkness can be defeated by the smallest light,
For when the daylight comes, gone is the night.
It was you who spoke into a world of darkness, “Let there be light!”
When you did so you spoke of yourself, all that is good, all that is right.
When you spoke you spoke more into existence than the sun and the moon,
You were rolling out the carpet of your coming soon.
Though you gave the world light people still chose to use it for evil,
Yet in your mercy, you still came with hope for all people.
You came as a babe for a mother to embrace,
Yet it was you who embraced the whole human race.
And then to make sure darkness never would rule,
You gave your life on a cross, death’s tool,
Yet you made it a gateway into darkness’ realm,
You defeated death, hell and the grave, its power overwhelmed.
Darkness is not dark to you because you are light,
You are all that is right, you defeated the night.
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