Fear of the dark is just one of my fears.  Often times I picture myself like little Piglet from Winnie the Pooh, not at all brave.  God has a way of teaching me lessons through very simple means and He recently did this to remind me that His light overcomes darkness and fear.

God’s Light Overcomes Darkness 

We live outside of town with the presence of street lights absent, leaving our little farm a very dark place at night.  I do not go out into that darkness unless I absolutely have to.  Can you say “chicken”?  LOL  Yep, I know!

The other night I needed to run out to the barn and it was well past dusk.  Of course, I  made my wonderful significant other accompany me.  He may think I’m ridiculous, but I remained unashamed and insisted he come with me.

As I stepped out into the dark, the first thing I noticed was the heavens covered with stars.  It really was breathtaking and a scene I would’ve missed had I stayed hidden inside.  Even in the darkest of night, the stars put on a beautiful display and I should’ve realized right then that God provided the stars to show us how light overcomes darkness.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1 NKJV)

Hubby came out behind me and headed into the black abyss.  I followed, listening carefully for coyotes or bears or other potential danger.

Suddenly, he switched on his large flashlight and the entire yard lit up.  That very second, I understood Psalm 119:105

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”(Psalm 119:105)

Honestly, it was as if someone slapped me with it.  God illuminates our path, doesn’t He?  How many times have I read that verse and thought it was “nice” but it didn’t mean much to me until the strong beam of light cut through the darkness.

I pondered this idea for a week.  Really!  It may sound simple to you, but it left an impression.  Let me share what I’ve been thinking.

God Lights Our Way

Our fear of the dark is because we are afraid of what we cannot see.

And isn’t that life?  Unpredictable, always changing, never completely within our control.  One day we are a happy family and the next my daughter dies.  An unexpected diagnosis from the doctor, a loss of a job, etc.  Things happen and we are blindsided.

Perhaps this is why God promises repeatedly to be with us.  He knows what lies ahead and He understands that we are frail and fearful and earthly, subject to various heartaches and health issues. 

Promises to never leave us nor forsake us are numerous throughout His word.  He promises to lead us through the fire and reminds us that He works all things for our good. 

Leading us through the valley of the shadow of death is leading us through that fear of the dark!

The Titus Woman has an encouraging post about God lighting our way through hard seasons of life.  

It is amazingly comforting to know that God lights our way!

Do We Believe that God is the Light of the World?

We need our path illuminated because we can only make decisions based on what we see.

God knows all and sees all.  We only see what is right in front of us which leaves us at quite a disadvantage!  Have you ever been at a place of indecision and wished you could see into the future to determine the best choice to make?  I’m sure we all have. 

We are forced to make decisions based on our limited insight.  Fear of the dark is not limited to physical darkness, but to the unknown which lies ahead of us.

God, in His omnipotent wisdom and foreknowledge, knows what lies ahead and will illuminate our path if we ask for guidance.  This does not mean that He allows us to see into the future, but instead shows us which direction we should go.

It is up to us to step out on faith knowing He will not guide us in the wrong direction.

If we believe that God is the light of the world, what do we have to fear?

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The Light Shines in the Darkness

I remember my sweet, chubby-cheeked three-year-old cousin coming up to me one day and saying, “I know why God made light on the first day”.  I laughed because she said it as if she had been pondering it. 

“Why?” I asked. 

She replied with a triumphant smile, “So God could see to create everything else!”.

I love it!  The innocence of children pondering the greatness of God.

I imagine that there are a dozen theories as to why God created light first, but I’ve always believed that light is an expression of God himself.  He is truth, love, and joy.  His greatness is beyond measure and He chases away all that is dark and evil, ugly and scary. 

We do not need to fear the dark because through Him we can experience the wonders of creation-the expression of HImself.  God’s light shines in the darkness and we believe in that light!  What could we be afraid of??

How great is our God!!

What does Light in the Bible Mean?

A couple more thoughts about light in the Bible.

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary has a wonderful definition of light in the Bible.

“Light always involves the removal of darkness in the unfolding of biblical history and theology. The contrast of light and darkness is common to all of the words for “light” in both Old and New Testaments (esp. Heb. or [r/a]; Gk. phos [fw'”]). The literal contrast between metaphysical good and evil, God and evil forces, believers and unbelievers. The Bible entertains no thought that darkness is equal in power to God’s light. God is the absolute Sovereign who rules over the darkness and the powers of evil.”

I like how it says, “The Bible entertains no thought that darkness is equal in power to God’s light”.

Light Overcomes Darkness Quotes

I am not the only one pondering light and darkness!  I did a search on light overcomes darkness quotes and found some wonderfully enlightening (haha!) quotes.  

“Don’t fight darkness- bring the light and darkness will disappear.”  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” Anne Frank

How God’s Light Overcomes Darkness and Fear

What if believing God’s light overcomes darkness and fear is simply a matter of accepting that God is leading us and allowing ourselves to follow wholeheartedly?  

We do not need to stay in our fear!  We do not need to stay in the darkness because God is the light of the world!

So, there you have it, friends.  My musings prompted by a dark night and a large flashlight!

What about you, friends?  What fears hold you bound?  “Fear, You Don’t Own Me” is an excellent post about overcoming fear through Christ.

 

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