Have you ever just been down? There’s not any particular reason. Things are ok at work. The family is fine. You don’t have any crazy deadlines to meet. You’re just down. You sense that you’re in an isolated place even though you’re surrounded by civilization. You start wondering what you’ve done wrong to feel this way. You start blaming the devil. You’re looking for answers and there don’t seem to be any. It’s a tough place. Many people have been in that place before you and many will come after. Have you ever considered that God may want you in this valley for a season of your life? Could it be that He wants it to be just you and Him for a while with no distractions? I’ve been there. Getting me to a place where I was settled enough to hear Him and learn from Him took some discomfort, but the outcome was worth it. That’s my aim with this message. I want to encourage you that if you’re in a dark valley right now, it won’t last forever because The Light, Himself, will never leave you.
We find in the eighteenth Psalm King David praising the Lord for delivering him from a place where he was literally surrounded. His very life was at stake and God rescued him. There’s a part of that scripture I find extremely fascinating. David is describing the Lord coming to his rescue in this passage. He says, “He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.” (Psalms 18:11-12 NLT) This doesn’t sound peaceful and beautiful. This sounds scary! The Lord wrapped Himself in darkness? According to this passage, yes He did. David was crying out from a dark place and was desperately looking for light. All the while, The Light was with him and was hidden to the naked eye. If you’re in a dark place right now, just know that your Savior is right there with you. He will not let go of you. It may seem like you are surrounded by a dark cloud, but that very cloud could be the Lord Himself. He wants you to trust Him when He says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).
The Lord’s eyes are always on His people. He knows everything we do, everything that’s important to us and has goodness in store for us. It doesn’t always seem like that’s the case when we experience hardship. We’re like, “Lord, don’t you see this? I’m literally drowning!” The enemy wants to try to convince you that God doesn’t care. Well we know that’s a lie because it comes from the maker of lies himself. Nowhere in this world will you ever find yourself that God isn’t right there in the midst. Yes, it’s true. He will take our hard times and teach us things about ourselves and most importantly, His character. He cares enough about us to make us into the person He wants us to be. He most certainly cares! Wonderful things are produced in rich, dark soil. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6 NLT). But remember, work is not always easy. That’s why they call it “work”. However, God calls this a good work.
Times can and will be hard in this world. Life circumstances don’t always make sense. God never promised us a comfortable, self-centered existence as a Christ follower. Jesus faced the hardship of all hardships. His calling in this life was always His focus. We have to keep our focus on what God’s called us to do. We can hold our heads high and know that the Creator of the universe is for us. When things are tough and life has you in a quandary, just remember God loves you and there’s no need to be afraid of the dark.
Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.
