Jan 3, 2026 – Light in the Darkness

When I walked in the sunroom early this morning, I was surprised to not see any lights down in the valley. In a late November blog post, I mentioned the white-out from the daytime fog; but this morning my house was surrounded by darkness, until the sun rose. I still was not able to see everything clearly, but I did have a new perspective. That is important to remember in life. We have to look to the Light to offer new and brighter perspectives and not remain in the dark.

JC – “Refresh yourself in the Peace of My Presence.” When we find ourselves in times of darkness, changing our attitude is an important first step, but true comfort comes when we seek our Savior. Even if nothing has changed in our circumstances, His presence changes (or can change) our focus and eventually our outlook. Young continues interpreting today’s verses in Jesus’ voice, “I go before you to open up the way, and I also walk alongside you…. Because I am your constant companion, there should be a lightness to your step that is observable to others. Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for I am your burden bearer. In the world you will have trials and distress, but don’t let them get you down. I have conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm you.” (See Ps 31:19-21 and John 16:33)

Sometimes when I read passages and promises like that, I think about people who have indeed come to harm in many different ways and I find myself questioning God; which, I might add, He is ok with. Who better to take our concerns and frustrations to than the One who knows past, present, and future.  Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us that, “His ways are higher than our ways.” As I’ve grown in my faith, the answer comes to me more quickly as I understand that harm may come to our physical bodies, but we can be calm despite the circumstances if we are mindful of what we think about. And, if we have faith on top of positive perspectives, we can have peace despite what may be happening around and to us.  To obtain this peace, we have to believe in and call on Him and truly trust that He is there and will comfort and direct us.

When I do question God about circumstances, often what comes to mind are people who have lived through trying times yet have unimaginably positive perspectives. Victor Frankl is typically the first person I think of. After surviving the WWII concentration camps, he wrote books about searching for the meaning of life and founded a school of psychotherapy which emphasizes that even amidst extreme suffering “humans have the freedom to choose their attitude and find purpose.” He famously asserted, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” The will to live is crucial; but, I believe, surviving and living in peace comes through faith.

Fankl was “spiritual but not religious”; so, I also look to faith warriors like Corrie ten Boom for next level inspiration, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” The key there is that we have to know Him. There’s so much to read and learn about her, but one of the most poignant examples of God working good out a situation has to do with fleas. An article by Sara Krych, at citieschurch.com, tells about how God, “in his providence, infest[ed] her barracks with fleas so she and her sister could lead Bible studies uninterrupted by the German guards who were reluctant to enter the room.” Is our faith to the level that we could be thankful for fleas or to at least ask God to show us why we should be thankful for fleas?

Prevail #3 – Larson tells us, “God promised Abraham that the generations would come through Abraham and Sarah. His response? He bowed low. But he laughed on the inside. [See Genesis 17:17.]  How often do we do the same? We sing about God’s faithfulness, but do we really believe He’ll do the impossible in our situation?” Good question. Larson reminds us, “Reengage your faith today. Remember, God can do in a moment what takes us a lifetime to accomplish. And when faith awakens your heart and inspires your actions? Well, that’s the stuff of miracles.”

Power starts off with my favorite verse: Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Joyce points out, “You need to have an ‘I am’ and an ‘I can’ attitude. Fill your thoughts and your words with these confessions daily, and then you will bring more joy into your life! A few of the verses she shares: “I am a new creation in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:17). I can live in perfect peace (see Isaiah 26:3)…. I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me (see Philippians 4:13). I am more than a conqueror in Christ (see Romans 8:37).”

Utmost – Psalm 97:2 – “Clouds and darkness are round about Him.” I sat here this morning with my mug of water (trying to get better about drinking more water) staring at the dark sky wondering what I should write about today. The complete lack of visibility kept speaking to me; so, I trusted God and started writing about that and, as usual, He was ready to speak to, and hopefully through, me on the theme for today. 

Chambers writes, “The only possibility of understanding the teachings of Jesus is by the light of the Spirit of God on the inside. If we have never had the experience of taking our commonplace religious shoes off our commonplace religious feet, and getting rid of all the undue familiarity with which we approach God, it is questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence…. After the amazing delight and liberty of realizing what Jesus Christ does, comes the impenetrable darkness of realizing Who He is. Jesus said: ‘The words that I speak unto you,’ not – ‘the words I have spoken’ – ‘they are spirit, and they are life.’ The Bible has been so many words to us – clouds and darkness, then all of a sudden the words become spirit and life because Jesus re-speaks them to us in a particular condition. That is the way God speaks to us, not by visions and dreams, but by words. When a man gets to God it is by the most simple way of words.” The Bible tells about dreams and visions and experiences, but does so with words. We must read and study them.

Streams – Cowman bases today’s devotion on Jacob’s thoughtfulness towards the cattle and the children as he set the daily pace for their journey, “And so he said, ‘I [will] move along slowly.’  ‘Since you have never been this way before.’ (Josh 3:4)”  She shares these thoughts from Frances Ridley Havergal, “We ‘have never been this way before,’ but the Lord Jesus has. It is all untraveled and unknown ground to us, but He knows it all through personal experience…. Think of that when you are tempted to question the gentleness of His leading. He remembers all the time and will never make you take even one step beyond what your feet are able to endure. Never mind if you think you are unable to take another step, for either He will strengthen you to make you able, or He will call a sudden halt, and you will not have to take it at all.”

JA – “Take time, take time with Me. While you rest in My presence, I untangle your thoughts and help you view things more biblically. Remember: My word is a lamp to guide your feet and a light for your path. Biblical thinking illuminates the path before you so you can find your way…. You are a sheep of My pasture. Sheep have very limited understanding of what their shepherd is doing for them, but they follow him anyway. Similarly, as My ‘sheep’, your job is to trust Me and follow wherever I lead.”  He is our Light in the darkness. We don’t always have to see and know everything, because He sees and knows everything.