by Jordyn van Gaalen

Enduring Darkness

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“Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”
Micah 7:8 NIV

Light is how we see in the darkness. Light brings a sense of peace. 

A few years ago I was backpacking with my husband. We wanted to keep it a light and short trip, so we skipped the tent and hammocks and decided to sleep on the ground with our sleeping bags. We had done this plenty of times before. But this particular trip, we heard a lone coyote howling through the night. We were in the valley of mountains, near a lake. I was jealous of the few campers scattered throughout this valley, tucked into hammocks and tents. I felt exposed and fearful. I couldn’t see around me, and I had no sense of protection, even if it was simply a thin piece of fabric.

I can get quite fearful in the dark. I can’t see anything around me, and I can’t perceive danger, so I am left with my imagination which can get carried away with fear of large animals attacking me. I pray and pray until I fall asleep, and then the dawn arrives. And with the dawn, I am filled with peace. The wild animals of my fears and dreams retreat, and I feel protected. I can see what is surrounding me.

“God is light; In Him there is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5b NIV

Trouble will come all the days of our earthly lives. But with God, we need not be afraid or discouraged. God is light. He will chase out all darkness, all sins, all trouble. 

We will fall and we will endure darkness on this earth. But we are not alone in our journey. We are not alone in this pursuit of eternal life with our Heavenly Father. 

The “falling” in Micah 7:8 refers to calamity and trouble, or a stumbling block. Throughout history we can relate to fallings and darkness. There is so much pain and hurting in the world and with it, comes fear, hopelessness, and discouragement. The troubles that we face are, unfortunately, nothing new since The Fall of Adam.

Yet we have a God who has conquered it all. He will be our strength to rise up and He will be the light to guide our path. He will never abandon us or leave us. He dearly loves His children, each and every human soul. He loves us on an intimate, personal level. He is someone we can turn to when we have fallen or when the darkness closes in. He will be our light.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado