Darkness Has A Powerful Reason for Existence

First of all, what is Darkness?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, darkness means more than just “the quality or state of being dark, such as the absence of light.” Darkness also means “a gloomy or depressed state or tone,” “Evil,” as well as “a lack of knowledge or enlightenment.”

When we go through difficult circumstances in life, we may feel gloomy, depressed, and sometimes feel like we don’t know what to do and how to be set free. These are moments of darkness. Darkness was present at the very dawn of creation. Genesis 1:2 says, “and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”. Darkness still exists today.

The first thing God created was light, which is ideally suited for navigating and overcoming darkness. He created Light bearers (sun, moon, and stars) in heaven to serve many purposes related to darkness and life (Genesis 1:14-15). The bible tells us that these light-bearers serve to separate the day from night, tell us the days, years, and seasons. The amplified version says that these light-bearers are “to be useful [as] signs of God’s provident care” as well. When we look at the sun, moon, and stars, they are reminders that God has made provisions for the future.

When God made light, He didn’t eradicate darkness because the darkness has a purpose. The purpose of darkness is not to terrify us. Darkness acts as a backdrop that lets us see the brightness of God’s light even better and the strength of His power even stronger. It helps us grow spiritually and physically. The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that “…My power [light] is strongest [shines brightest] when you are weak [darkness]” (CEV). In other words, my light shines brightest in your times of darkness. James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). In this verse, trials of many kinds are akin to darkness. The darkness is used here to test and build up our faith. Through this darkness, our faith grows as we persevere. As we persevere in faith, God shows himself more and more to us and fulfills our every need.

We shouldn’t fear darkness (tribulation, distress, suffering, etc.). Jesus Christ has already won the battle over darkness. We can walk through the darkness with confident hope, faith, and knowledge of the truth. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. You will have tribulation and distress and suffering in the world, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.].” [John 16:33 AMP]. So rather than being afraid of darkness, we should be on the lookout for it because we see God’s light and power shine brighter through the darkness.

When we go through times of darkness, it is tempting to feel like the light will never shine over our circumstances. It may feel like we cannot overcome it. But just as the daylight is guaranteed to come in the morning and make the night flee, so is the light of God’s redeeming grace and mercies guaranteed to shine over our circumstances.

In Psalm 42:5, David asked himself this: “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence” (AMP). Every trial and tribulation will surely pass away, just like the night must give way to the daylight. So, you see, there’s no need to fret when the going gets tuff. We should hunker down, open our eyes, and watch expectantly for God to move because He has promised to help us. God said, “Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation]” (Isaiah 41:10 AMP).

Darkness gives us directions in a sense and makes life more excitable. Imagine keeping your eyes (heart and mind) open wide just watching to catch God move over your circumstances. It’s exciting, and that’s just how testimonies are born. Dark times can be very gloomy if you lack faith and don’t open your eyes to see how God is working over your circumstances. You must be very vigilant to catch Him, for God often moves subtly, and because of God’s subtle moves, you may not perceive His deliverance.

Here is an analogy for you. If you go to bed at night with a blindfold, you won’t be able to tell when morning comes if you don’t remove the blindfolds. Therefore, it is possible for you to continue living in a tribulation mindset long after the tribulation is over. That is if you keep your eyes (heart and mind) closed. King David repeatedly reminded himself to wait expectantly for God’s help when he felt despair in Psalm 42. He recognized that his soul was in anguish because of his dark circumstances. Then he reminded himself that there’s no need for despair but to hope and wait on the Lord because he knows that the God he worships can and will deliver him.

Jesus, in his own words, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV). When His disciples wanted to know the way to God the Father and Jesus told them, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). The practical question that now stands is how do we find Jesus Christ long after his death and resurrection? Jesus was kind enough to leave us a roadmap. You will notice in Mathew 5:3-9 (the beatitudes) that Jesus uses a lot of dark moments to point people to himself. Jesus identifies the various forms of darkness that will plague us and identifies how in those moments, we can see the light of the Father shine bright.

Here are other forms of darkness that Jesus identifies and how they bless you.

1. When you are poor in spirit, feeling spiritually insignificant, Jesus said you are blessed. In that state of gloominess and lack of enlightenment, God’s light will shine upon you and help you be spiritually prosperous, happy, and admired by others. Ultimately, “yours is the kingdom of heaven” (verse 3).

2. When you mourn over your sins or even from pure heartache, Jesus said you are blessed. As you go through the dark period of mourning, God’s light will shine bright on you, and His grace will refresh you as the burden of your sins is lifted through God’s gift of forgiveness.

3. When you are humble and meek, people quickly impose on you and tend to take advantage of you. Jesus said you are blessed. As you walk through this dark time, God’s light will shine bright on you, giving you inner peace and spiritual security and making you worthy of respect. Ultimately, you will inherit the earth (verse 5).

4. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus said you are blessed. As you struggle through the dark times of figuring out what to do and seeking the strength to do it, God’s light will come through shining bright, nourishing you with God’s goodness and filling you up with joy. Ultimately, you will be delighted (verse 6).

5. Being a merciful person takes a lot of energy and strength. It requires constantly giving to bring someone else relief from something unpleasant. It also requires giving up one’s power to punish the guilty. It takes a lot of self-restraint and sacrificial trust in God’s justice system. As you go through these dark times of fighting back your desire to carry out vengeance or punish the guilty, God’s light will shine bright on you. He will help you be content with your decision to lay down your right to vengeance. His light will also shelter you and protect you by God’s promises. Ultimately, you will receive mercy from God himself as He releases you from the penalty of your guilt (verse 7).

6. Life can be hard when you are pure in heart and live a life of integrity, moral courage, and godly character. As you strive to live a life of integrity, the devil amplifies his temptations and constantly tries to get you to stumble. It can feel like a dark place. Jesus said you are blessed because you will see the light of the presence of God as you anticipate God’s presence and mature spiritually. In your constant anticipation and awareness, you will see God move powerfully in your life (verse 8).

7. Making and maintaining peace is not an easy lifestyle. You are faced with constant rebellion and must make many difficult decisions, some of which you feel guilty about. Jesus said blessed are those who make and maintain peace. In the dark times of making tough decisions and working hard to make and maintain peace in difficult situations, you see God’s light shine bright on you and keep you calm. His power will fill you with a life-long joy of God’s favor. God will always show up to help you get things done the right way and do so with calm, peace, and joy. Ultimately, “you will be called the sons of God” as you express God’s character (verse 9).

8. Standing up for what is morally right in a society with no moral law is naturally followed by persecution. When you go through gloomy dark times of persecution for righteousness’ sake, Jesus said you are blessed. The light of God’s love and inner peace will bring you comfort. As you keep up the faith and pursue righteousness despite the persecution, by the grace of God and his provisions, “yours is the kingdom of heaven” (verse 10).

9. When people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say evil things against you because of your association with Jesus Christ, that puts you in a dark place. Jesus said you are blessed. In the dark times of being persecuted and lied about, you will remain morally courageous and spiritually alive as the light of God’s goodness shines through the darkness and fills you up with life-long joy. Jesus calls you to “be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great” (verse 11-12)

Therefore, God is present in every moment, and He is working. His work is more prominent in our dark times. If we trust Him and look out for him, we will see Him working, and our hearts will be at peace. The next time something terrible is happening to you, stop for a second and remind yourself that you have the perfect opportunity to see God working. Don’t close your eyes and pray it away. Open your eyes as you pray and persevere, and you will truly see the power of God at work. We didn’t see him create the world, but we can see him working today.