Merry Christmas!

 

                                                                                 

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:11-14, KJV

"I have come as a light into the world." John 12:46, NKJV  

And leaving Nazareth He went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 4:12-17, ESV

 

God in the Darkness

I read Psalm 88 this morning during my devotional time with the Lord. In it, the psalmist feels like he’s sitting in the depths of the pit—“in the regions dark and deep”—because of God’s wrath. Yet, even in that place of sorrow, he doesn’t turn away from God. Instead, he cries out to Him, prays, and pours out his heart.

In fact, he begins by declaring, “O LORD, God of my salvation.” Even in despair, he acknowledges that God is still his salvation.

That struck me—God is showing us that in our darkest moments, we are not meant to turn away from Him. Even if we suffer under His discipline or feel overwhelmed by life, we can still cry out to Him for mercy. We can repent and pray, drawing closer to God, not farther away. And He will come to save.

Sometimes, we must sit in darkness. But even then, God is our light.

I love Micah 7:8, and I often quoted it to myself during a season of depression and panic:

“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.”

Verse 9 continues:

“I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon His vindication.”

This gives us hope. We don’t despair during such times—we hold on to the God who loves us and promises to lift us up.

1 Peter 5:10 offers this comfort:

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.”

I pray this encourages you today, just as it has encouraged me. God will restore and strengthen us—if we do not lose heart. Keep trusting in Him. Keep praying.

To God be the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Candle image from Pexels.com 

Quotes from Psalm 88 and Micah 7 are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

1 Peter 5:10 is from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.