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Nov 28, 2024 18:00pm

What Now?: Darkness

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The following comes from the devotional book “What Now?” by Ashley Akers. To learn more, go to www.whatnowdevo.com.

Darkness

When I was a kid I feared the dark. My dad loved to jump out and scare me in our dark hallway or say that there were ghosts that were going to get me. If someone had been recording me, it would have looked like an action-packed movie. I usually had a plan for the hallway. My first instinct was to make a mad dash to turn on the light. My fear went to a whole new level if the bulb was out or if it blew as I turned it on! My second panic move was to get to the next doorway with my eyes closed and swipe for the next light switch. All this anxiety just to use the bathroom! Oh, why did the bathroom have to be in the hallway? If it wasn’t my dad scaring me in the hallway, it was a sibling hiding out in the basement dressed like Freddy Kruger, chasing me right back up the steps. I wonder how I even survived. (Face palm)

Spiritual darkness can be overwhelming and fearful at the same time. Unfortunately, darkness is everywhere in this world and the Bible associates spiritual darkness with the enemy, confusion and sin. The enemy can bind us in many emotional or physical ways. Depression, anxiety, suicide, hopelessness, loneliness, divorce, abuse, adultery, pornography, drugs, alcohol and other addictions have darkened the door of people’s hearts all over the world. But there is hope.

Darkness brings fear, but light brings comfort. John 1:5 says,

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Acts 26:17b-18 says,

I [Jesus] am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Please remember that the darkness of sin and evil will never be able to overcome the light. Light = Jesus. Jesus wants to come in and break down the walls of darkness in your heart with Himself. Just as light brings comfort to us in a dark room, Jesus brings comfort and hope to our lives. John 8:12 says,

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

The power of darkness wants to overcome you and keep you full of fear, but you don’t have to walk in it. It is a matter of choosing Jesus who will light your path, guide you and deliver you from the enemy. Expose the dark by confessing your sins and trusting in Jesus to find your freedom. He is the Light of the world! Let Him in.

Reflection Questions

1. What type of darkness are you currently struggling with? Depression? Anxiety? Addiction, etc.?

2. Have you made the choice to trust in Jesus and allow His light to shine in the dark places of your heart?