When my daughter was about 8 or 9 years old, we had a few nights when she was convinced the fan in her room was turning on by itself. She could see when the lights were on that the fan was not running but when we turned out the light and got in bed, soon she would be at my bedside certain the fan was turning on by itself. We assured her, it could not do that. She was unconvinced so I went and unplugged the fan, again when we turned out her lights, she was certain the fan was turning itself on. Eventually, I had to physically remove the fan from her room before she felt safe again.
That may be a silly example but if truth be told, I imagine every one of us has done something very similar but only in a grown-up way.
Have you ever felt like you were in a dark place in your life? Maybe it was a sudden event like a tragedy or bad news that catapulted you into a dark place or maybe it was a slow slide into a dark place, so gradual you didn’t see it coming. Either way, there you were (or are) in a dark place.
In that dark place – at least in my experience—it can be very difficult to believe those things that were easy to believe in the light. Perhaps we question the goodness of God or the love of God for us. Perhaps we wonder if He is really sovereign or all-powerful. Sometimes looking around us we may question why He allows such evil things if it is in His power to stop or prevent it. It is very hard to see and be strong in that dark place. Fear can start to set in. But I was reminded one time by a dear saint when I was in a dark place, she said, “What’s true in the light is still true in the dark.”
Those things we believe and stand solidly on in the light do not change or lose their stability when the light fades. You may not see them anymore, but by faith believe them true. What is true in the light is still true in the dark. It is often in the dark that our dependency, trust and faith grow.
“Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” Psalm 139:12
“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16
Be encouraged, sister, just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s no longer there. What’s true in the light is still true in the dark.
Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.
