Walking through a dark forest

Amy Carmichael describes her struggles as if she was wandering in a dark wood (forest). Later on, in her life, when she was struggling with her own health, she wrote these beautiful words:

"Look up to the light that pours into the wood from high above the trees. The long, pure rays of that conquering light are interwoven with the tall stems of the trees, even as threads bright and dark are interwoven in the web of our lives."

She then wrote these next words as a form of a prayer: "Look above the treetops, O my soul; from thence flow the foundations of light. See how that blessed light streams through the wood."

Her thoughts made me think of Psalm 121 again. These are such encouraging words for us.

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore." - Psalm 121

Living in Grace

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Walking with a friend in the dark

Helen Keller observed that “walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”

Being a friend to someone who is experiencing suffering is a hard thing to do, but very necessary. I am grateful that we are able to turn to Christ as he walks with us in our times of testing and pain.

Daniel 3:24-25 - "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Thought: Do you need to walk alongside someone at the moment? 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Dark night of the soul

The term 'dark night of the soul' has been used to describe an intense period of spiritual emptiness or longing. It is a phrase that can cover a lot of different aspects, especially relating to the silence of God or even feeling as if we are wandering in the desert of loneliness. 

As we mark the shortest day/longest night (in the Southern Hemisphere) today, I want to ask you how you push through the times of darkness? If you have ever experienced the dark night of the soul, what helped you to hold on during those difficult times?

St John of the Cross believed that it was from these experiences that he encountered the light of Christ. He wrote: In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God.

It seems that David also believed that by hanging on, he would eventually crawl out of his dark spaces and encounter the light of God. He says:

"Yet I am standing here depressed and gloomy, but I will meditate upon your kindness to this lovely land where the Jordan River flows and where Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar stand." - Psalm 42:6

May you lean on the promises of Jesus as you walk out of darkness into his glorious light.

Living in Grace

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The Contrast

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

In these 2 verses there is a great deal of contrast in the images that Solomon shares. Perhaps this is why it is so revealing and challenging at the same time. Do you notice how he speaks about 'sweet light' and then 'days of darkness?' He also contrasts joy and meaninglessness. 

Solomon's overriding message to the next generation was clear - Life is a gift and we have little control over how things turn out, so let us enjoy what gifts God gives to us. 

This is so relevant for what we are experiencing at the moment during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. There seems to be no certainty anymore - darkness contrasts with moments of light and our joy is often threatened by meaninglessness.

The opening words of verse 7 are key for me today - each sunrise is pleasing to the soul - it reminds us that God has given us one more day to enjoy.

I am grateful for the purpose and love of Christ. It is in Jesus that I live, breathe and have my being.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Let there be light

 

In our cold winter's mornings it is so helpful to have electricity to light up our rooms. Getting dressed for work or school is tough without any light. In fact, having Light makes all the difference for our entire daily routine.

And so, I believe that having the Light of Christ makes an even bigger difference in our lives. Knowing that the darkness we encounter will be overcome by the Light keeps us living in Hope. Whatever is making your life seem dark at the moment, turn to Jesus and ask him to shine his light into your heart. 

Genesis 1:3 -  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Living in Grace
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A word for the season of load-shedding

I found it quite ironic that the reading that came to mind in this week of load-shedding, happens to be speaking about LIGHT. Thanks to David,  the great poet, songwriter, king and shepherd, we have some hope for when times are dark - which in South Africa is at least twice a day at the moment :)

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1

Eugene Peterson adds his insight to this wonderful verse:

Light, space, zest—
    that’s God!
So, with him on my side I’m fearless,
    afraid of no one and nothing.

Living in Grace
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When darkness overtakes you

"When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in..." - Psalm 112:4

As we reflect on this verse today there are 3 important things I have noticed:

1. Darkness comes to all of us. The Psalmist used the word - "when..." to describe this event, not 'If.'
2. Even the 'Godly" can be impacted by storms and dark times in our lives.
3. The great PROMISE is that the Light of Jesus Christ will come bursting in. 

May you have a blessed day and please hold onto the promise of God.

Francis Bacon - "In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."

Living in Grace
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Out of the Darkness

Out of the Darkness
Out of the dark forbidding soil
The pure white lilies grow.
Out of the black and murky clouds,
Descends the stainless snow.
Out of the crawling earth-bound worm
A butterfly is born.
Out of the sombre shrouded night,
Behold! A golden morn!
Out of the pain and stress of life,
The peace of God pours down.
Out of the nails -- the spear -- the cross,
Redemption -- and a crown! - Author Unknown.

I love this poem - I just wish I knew who had written it, so I could thank them in person. It speaks to me of new life and hope. It reminds me that all good things come out of places of darkness. The lily, the butterfly, the sun, the Resurrection. All of these are born in moments where all seems dark and lost.

So, May God bless you and keep you - May God grant you the energy and strength to live for the dawn.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Fear of the light

There is a name for people who are afraid of the LIGHT - it is called "photophobia."

I know a number of people who are scared of the dark, but how many people do you know who are afraid of the light? There is of course one person who hates the light - he does all he can to stay away from the light of Christ and he does all in his power to keep us from the grace of God. However, we need to remember that Christ has already won the battle - the enemy will have to stay in the dark!

James 4:7 - Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”- Plato

Living in Grace
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Darkness covers the earth....

We are living in difficult times! It is almost as if there is a blanket of dark mist descending on our world and especially on our country. It is hard to remain positive in the midst of such complex times.

The one reassuring thing, for us all, is that God has seen this all before. It is not new for him. It is new for us, because we are seeing in our lifetime, but God has been down this road before. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that although things look bleak at the moment, God's light will shine through.

"See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
BUT.....
The Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." - Isaiah 60:2-3

During this Advent season, may we come to YOUR light O' God. Change our despair to hope. Turn our dark world into a place of light and peace.

Living in Grace
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Hello Darkness

Reading through Psalm 88 this morning I was startled by the ending.

"...the darkness is my closest friend." - Psalm 88:18

All of the Psalms are brutally honest and contain their fair share of bleakness, but they usually end up in a positive place. Today's Psalm leaves us hanging, wondering how things turn out for the writer.

The next Psalm immediately starts with a positive note - "I will sing of the Lord's great love for ever" which is a great continuation of the story and leaves me feeling a little more encouraged.

By the way, when I had finished reading Psalm 88, the song 'Hello Darkness' by Simon and Garfunkel came into my mind:

"Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence."

May God be with us in the midst of our dark moments.

Living in Grace
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