Piercing the Darkness
Opening Prayer
Thank God that in any dark times of life you can count on his faithful presence and constant care.
Read Psalm 13:1-6
[1] For the director of music. A psalm of David. How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? [2] How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? [3] Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, [4] and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. [5] But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. [6] I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What is the psalmist's plea and his source of hope?I remember years ago learning how to operate a photographic dark room. I still recall the complete absence of light, and how disconcerting it was to be in inky blackness for 20 minutes straight! Remembering that helps me to get into the psalmist’s bleak experience. It’s not uncommon for God to keep his children in the dark about his ways (3). We often feel abandoned in the most difficult times. The danger is that, in the darkness, we may succumb to the feeling of being betrayed by God, and then abandon him. The psalmist pleads for a sign that he is not abandoned; that he is not lost in a tangled inner world without the guiding comfort of God’s presence (1,2). Notice that resolution is not found in a sudden blaze of illumination, but in the patience that real faith and trust demand (5). This patience is born from the memory of the goodness of God. God has been good in the past and never failed (6). He who was faithful in the past can be trusted for the future. He is there and he is enough!
Apply
What do you do when the way ahead is dark? Reflect on how God has helped you in the past.
Closing prayer
Heavenly Father, I know You are with me and can always be counted on. Help me to trust that always.
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