Light in the Darkness – Devotion 11 – SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

The smallest glimmer of light can signal hope. In our adventures of life, we may find ourselves lost among the trees of disappointment, fear, struggles, heartache, or disease. These make it seem as the entire forest is filled with trouble and the promise of hope is so far away. As we travel, we may find ourselves calling out to God for a glimmer of life, a moment of relief from it all. We pray for mercy in our lives. We seek a sliver of peace among a mound of despair. And, if we are honest, it doesn’t always come when we would like. The answers do not always flow freely as the waters of the ocean. It can feel like a dry, barren desert where we thirst for a promise fulfilled. We ache for God to show up and just let us know he is with us. And yet, still nothing. Nothing at all. And we feel as though we will crumble into the dust of hopelessness.

That is not the end. This is not the end of the story. God does not let us thirst or crumble. He does remind us that he is with us, often in the most subtle of ways. God does show up in our most vulnerable moments. He does not let us suffer alone. Our situation may not change, but our vision of our situation just might seem a bit different. God could be shining a light in our darkness. He could be lighting the way through the forest of despair. He could be leading us to a place of rest, a place where we know we are welcomed and we belong. God could be showing us there is more that we haven’t discovered. The light is there, we just keep moving along with him. It will change our lives, forever.

May God lead us in our dark times, may he show up in our despair, may he hold us in our fears, and remind us that we are never alone. May God shine a light so bright that our forest becomes a place of beauty and hope. Shine, God. Shine brightly on us.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 27 (Select Verses)

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

⁴One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.

⁵For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.

⁷Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!

¹³I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!