If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night” (Psalm 139:11, NASB1995).
Have we experienced overwhelming darkness? Does Psalms 139:11 describe our lives now?
Symptoms of this darkness are …
- What we thought was solid proved false. How about fallen leaders? Or spousal betrayal?
- The foundation of our lives turned to quicksand. We’ve experienced a great loss. Maybe bankruptcy, even a career collapse?
And in this darkness, we can’t see the light. Confused, we don’t understand. When debilitated by darkness, we find help by reading Psalm 139:12 …
Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You (Psalm 139:12, NASB1995).
When we can’t discern or understand because our light has become dark, know that night is as bright as day to God.
Being overwhelmed by darkness is paralyzing. It’s difficult to go forward or backward. We stop, we are stymied, and we feel alone. But we shouldn’t fear as darkness and light are the same with God.
Just trust God and let Him guide us.
Psalm 139:5 reads …
You stand in front of me and behind me and lay Your hand upon me. OGV
Total darkness shouldn’t be troubling if our Guide sees in the dark and lays His hand upon us.
I learned the “overcoming” secret of Psalm 139 during a dark time in my life. I had just memorized the chapter and was sitting in my prayer chair reviewing my frustrations when the Spirit said, “For you, it’s dark, but not for me.”
I grasped this truth in my spirit, and while the darkness was still there (I hadn’t yet discerned the solution that I was seeking), I had peace. And then something strange happened …
I fell asleep for an hour — deep and restful sleep! There isn’t a better place to sleep than total darkness when you aren’t afraid of the night.
You can find rest and peace in your dark place too. Meditate on Psalm 139:11-12.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night.” Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
Darkness be gone in the name of Jesus!