God In The Darkness

God in the Darkness

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Cassie nodded as she listened to a new editor in town tell of the tension her cross-country move had caused. The editor, who was a widow, and her family had been in Colorado Springs only a few months, but already things were not going well. The sale of their East Coast condo fell through after they already had purchased a new home. The latest storm had damaged the roof, the car’s engine developed a short circuit, and an unexpected bill arrived.

Discouraged, she read the Scriptures she thought had directed their move west. She replayed every event that seemed to point to the rightness of their decision. Still, nothing removed the knot from her chest.

Then one Saturday at four in the morning, she dropped her son off at his high school to catch the bus for a regional event. But instead of going home, she drove to a nearby park noted for its majestic red rock formations. She needed to connect with God and be reassured she hadn’t missed his voice in this move. And she thought she could do that best in his world instead of hers.

As she entered the blackness of the park, she pulled off the narrow road and got out to study the heavens, hoping the beauty of the star-filled sky would offer some encouragement. Suddenly, a bright green meteor shot across the full length of the sky, its brilliance a breathtaking contrast to the darkness around her. Stunned, she said aloud, “Oh! Thank you!” as she watched the glowing trail. As the vivid color faded into the horizon, her problems didn’t seem as heavy as before. Oh, they were far from being solved, and she still had to deal with challenges around her, but she knew the memory of that scene would remain with her in the days ahead.

She also knew she would not have seen the Creator’s glory in the meteor without the darkness. As she started the car and headed home, she felt peace wrapping itself around her—God’s peace.

As the editor finished telling her story, Cassie smiled. She was beginning to understand that same peace. —SANDRA

Lord, thank you for the reminders of your presence. Sometimes they are quiet whispers. Sometimes they are brilliant “shouts” that flash across the night sky. But always they carry the message that you have not forgotten us. May we be aware of your voice, no matter our circumstances. And may we face each challenge unafraid.

While you’re suffering, you can’t see the why. It’s only after the fact that you see God makes true his promises [that] he works all things together for his good.

—JAN DRAVECKY, AUTHOR, SPEAKER, AND COFOUNDER OF OUTREACH OF HOPE