Monday, September 13, 2010

Stepping Stones: Do You Recognize The Darkness?



Transformational Thought

What is darkness? We all have really bright and shiny days when everything goes great and we feel on top of the world. But darker days, those are a lot tougher to describe and identify. You might be thinking, “what is he talking about, I know the dark days and can identify them pretty easily.”

Dark days can also be days that are “neutral” days. Nothing great, nothing earth-shattering, nothing memorable. Those are the days that Satan starts to play with our head, getting us to think or believe we are nothing special, that God doesn’t really love us, that God inst interested in our wellbeing, that God is really just witting up there with a scorecard, keeping track of out mistakes.

Why do we fall for Satan’s tricks? Because, at our core, we are insecure, feel inadequate, and have a consistent and constant need for approval and to be important to someone. Noticed. To be making our mark on each day.

Growing in God’s grace is all about trusting Him above all else, particularly in the darkness, whether it is a for-all-the-marbles darkness, or those neutral days that set us up on the slippery slope for a big darkness. When you are in the dark, reach for His hand with confidence. Turn to Him. Resist the hollow earthly solutions and addictions. Reaching for His hand in the dark is a display of magnificent trust and greatly weakens the spiritual forces of evil, the very forces that have tricked you to pursue the darkness as a solution.

When your world is dark and you trust God, His light will shine brightly through you for all to see…for His light shines brightest in the darkness.

Today, if you are in the dark and feel on the brink of giving up, cry out for His assistance and pray: “Help me Holy Spirit.” Really look for the hand that is reaching out for you….it is there. This brief prayer is a beautiful display of trust and a simple way to tap into His vast power. Learn to recognize the lies that take you from a neutral day to a dark day.

Prayer
Dear Father, I am completely in the dark today – scared, disoriented – don’t know which way to turn. Help me, God, help me, Holy Spirit. You have designed me to seek light…I crave all kind of light; sunlight, even artificial light…but especially the light of Your holy presence. I want to walk in Your light, Father. It is easy for me to trust You when there is plenty of light in my world. But trusting You in my darkness is another matter. But I am desperate, Lord, I am reaching for You in the dark. I know, Lord, that Your light shines brightest in the dark. I pray that even in times when I cannot see the illumination of Your light, that Your light shining through me is visible to those around me. I pray in need through Your Son Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!

The Truth
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin
1 John 1:7

Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139:10