Where God Is

Remember what it is like when you walk into a dark room.  Things feel unfamiliar and sometimes the darkness can be felt.

If you wait a minute our eyes may adjust enough to move around.  We may faintly make out light in the darkness, but our instinct is to turn on the light in the room.

In this world we live in, in this present darkness, Christians are the light of Christ that God uses.  So often we are in the dark because that is where we shine the most.

Sometimes we think we are in darkness because the enemy is against us and we can’t find the light.  Desperately searching like a moth for a flame we flutter around erratically asking God, “Why?”  In search of a way to comprehend the will of the Light.

Sometimes the thick darkness is where God is.

¹⁸ Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 

Exodus 20:18-19 NKJV

In this passage God has just spoken His law over the people.   The people see lightning, hear the thunder,  smoke indicates fire and they beg Moses to speak to God in their stead.  They cry out that the voice of God is too much for them and they are afraid it will kill them.

Moses tells them not to fear that God has come to test their faith.  To stretch it beyond its current borders.  Yet they still stood far away and only watched Moses approach the thick darkness where God was.

“There is a powerful shifting that takes place as we abandon the right to understand and we yield to God’s working in our lives.”

                                  Jo Ann Fore When a Woman Finds Her Voice

Their are times when you have to be brave enough, and have enough faith that God is good to approach the thick darkness.  The only way to the Light is to go through it.  No matter our fear, no matter how loud the noise is, even if we smell smoke we must keep walking to where God is.  Like a trip to the light switch on the other side of the room.

I hate going to the dentist.  In fact the sound of a drill creeps me out just thinking about it.  But when I had an abscessed tooth I faced my fear because the pain became far greater.  Although the trip to the dentist can be painful, it is for our good.  It will not harm us, but help us.  Like an immunization, or resetting a broken leg.  So we go through painful procedures to either be healed or prevent disease or dis-ease.

In the process God uses to heal us we have to decide if we want to stand back because we are afraid of the unknown.  Or if we want to be healed.  More times than not. If we are able to tolerate the temporary amplification of pain so that we can be made whole.  Like surrendering to the resetting of a fractured bone,  we submit to the resetting of our fractured lives.

This present darkness you find yourself in is not an illusion meant to tell you your going the wrong way.  You may be asking why, and that is okay because we all want to know.  But if you are stuck at why, try this question that will get you to the light. “Will you show me the way through the thick darkness where you are waiting?”

²⁰ And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:20-19 NKJV

During my healing journey I have had to submit my why’s and the fear I had of the dark in an effort to be made whole.  Like Moses I had to leave those who were afraid to approach the thick darkness and travel toward the Healer.  This has always been a stretch of faith.

Beloved I am facing a thick darkness right now.  I once again have that decision to make.  I know it is hard, but like myself, you can trust the Light on the other side.

By the way my friend Jo Ann Fore’s book was released yesterday.  If you are a woman looking to find your voice or the encouragement to share your story.  Click on the link in the red quote above.  Read my review here.