Trusting God’s Light When Darkness Creeps In - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 13
The Crosswalk Devotional
Audio By Carbonatix
By Aaron D'Anthony Brown, Crosswalk.com
Trusting God’s Light When Darkness Creeps In
By Aaron D’Anthony Brown
Bible Reading:
“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” - Psalm 56:3, CSB
Imagine dwelling in a society where people cheer on death and violence. Imagine that this excitement is directed at people like you, with your values and beliefs. Now, imagine society actively trying to bring about death and violence in your life and the lives of those you love. There are places like that in this world.
That’s a harsh truth on top of the everyday things that already make us feel sad, lonely, hurt, and afraid - relationships, financial struggles, loss.
No matter when you come into this world, or where, there’s always suffering. When the darkness creeps in, there are a few steps you should take to ensure the darkness doesn’t win. We may be tempted to give up, and tempted to give in, but we certainly don’t have to. We never do.
Talk Earnestly to God
Perhaps you know this, but don’t quite believe it. God wants to hear from you. Yes, He knows what darkness has crept into your life, and the truth is, He has allowed it. Yet, at the same time, God cares. And if He cares, then there must be a reason for the suffering. Ask Him why. Talk openly and honestly about the pain.
In Psalm 13, David sings to God, asking some rather tough questions about his suffering. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” Imagine saying that to someone or someone saying that to you.
We don’t talk to God to inform Him but rather to conform ourselves to the image of Christ. David knew he could approach the throne, but knew that God was in control of everything. That’s why, after these deep questions for God, he ends on a note of optimism. He has decided to “trust” in God’s “faithful love.”
Commit Yourself to God
Yes, committing yourself to God involves prayer, but it also involves so much more. Many who consider themselves to be Christians only talk to God when calamity hits. They plead for God to help and often thank Him when He does, but afterward, the Lord is yet again an afterthought until the next crisis hits.
If you want solid trust in God, then you have to start with commitment. Pray when life is down, but also when things are looking up. Go to church and get involved, even in a small capacity. Read Scripture and meditate on God’s Word daily.
The more you think about the Lord and His righteousness, sovereignty, and power, the less of a stranglehold the darkness will have over you. You’ll be tempted to fear, but you won’t because you’ll remember the Truth.
Find Strength in Others
God did not design the first man to be alone, nor did he create us to be alone. He made us for community. When you fall short, and you will, because we all do, find support in those around you. Surround yourself with people who will bring out the best in you. Likewise, seek to bring out the best in them. When we strengthen one another, the bad times don’t hurt as much.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
No matter how many devotionals you read, how much time you spend in the Word, or how often you pray, darkness will creep into your life. We reside in a fallen world, which means suffering is inevitable. No matter how low or high we are in society, we all face some form of suffering. The question is, how will we respond?
As a believer, you have the choice of giving in to the darkness, but the better, and obviously wiser option is to choose God. Remember how he has come through for you in the past. Write those blessings down. Get a friend to remind you. Remember, and whenever the darkness appears again, you won’t forget.
Further Reading:
John 15:18
Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 27:17
Psalm 9:10
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Yaraslau Mikheyeu
Aaron D'Anthony Brown is a freelance writer, hip-hop dance teacher, and visual artist, living in Virginia. He currently contributes to Salem Web Network’s Crosswalk platform and supports various clients through the freelancing website Upwork. He's an outside-the-box thinker with a penchant for challenging the status quo.
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!
Related Resource: 9 Confusing Things about God– Answered By a Christian Philosopher
How can God be all-present (omnipresent) and yet be located in the temple and indwell believers? How can God know everything (omniscient) if He doesn't know what it is like to sin? How can God be a necessary Being if it is logically possible He doesn't exist? These are just a few of the tough, philosophical questions Sean McDowell discusses with William Lane Craig.
