Faith in the Darkness

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?  Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.  But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze.  This is what you shall receive from my hand:  You will lie down in torment.  --Isaiah 50:10-11

I like Bible passages like this that turn conventional wisdom on its head.  Usually, it is the darkness that is portrayed as evil, and the light is given a more positive connotation.  Yet God knows that His children may spend more time in physical darkness than in physical light.  We used to tell our kids, "Nothing good ever happens after midnight," just to try to urge them to get home before their curfew.  But the Christian who has the Light of the World living inside her is never truly in darkness.  She can close her eyes in prayer, and the Light of Life will illuminate her steps.

The concept of Jesus as the Light of the World is a spiritual concept.  "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). Anyone who has gotten up in the middle of the night to comfort a crying baby, and stepped on a Lego toy in the middle of the floor knows that we don't literally walk in the light all the time.  If you have ever been in a basement or windowless room during a power outage, you know that Christians don't glow in the dark.  Surely those persecuted Christians in North Korea and certain Muslim countries, who are thrown into dark prison cells for their faith, know that the Light of the World is in them, and that is their comfort.

Poet Patrick Overton wrote, "When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or you will be taught how to fly."  So when you find yourself engulfed in a dark place, do not fear the darkness.  Instead, fear God, for "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).  Then let the light that is within you guide your steps.

The world seeks a lamp, a road map, a list of instructions to follow.  Isaiah 50:11 says those who look to fires and torches, things they themselves have made to guide them out of the darkness will live in torment.  They will never see the light.  Just like when Jesus told his disciples that the Pharisee who prayed in public, loudly for all to see how spiritual he is, for the respect and praise of men--this is the only reward he will receive: the hollow praise of men, not the blessing of God. Even so are those who try to light their way using "natural" means--the wind will blow out their candles and they will curse the darkness. Hebrews 3:18-19 says, "And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."

We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  Whether you are outside in broad daylight, or in a cold, dank prison cell, you can have a light in you that shines brighter than the sun.  You must close your eyes to truly see.

To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be

When the universe fell from His fingertips
He decided He wanted some fellowship
But the man and the woman would not submit
So He made a better way

When the moment was right He sent His own son
And He opened the way so that everyone
Could have hope and believe that when time was done
He'd be able to make us one

To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be

Now I understand that there is a key
It's Jesus in me, a reality
That God is in Christ and that Christ's in me
That with faith I see what is unseen

To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be
That's what faith must be