And Darkness Covered the Earth...

Genesis 1:2 -  The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface. 

Luke 23:44 -  And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 

God was and is, and will always be.   "Well duh" you might say if you are a Christian.  There are some things we as Christians know that we know, but sometimes forget not everyone in the world believes as we do.  When thinking about darkness, it is certainly an encouragement to know that even in the darkest of darkness, before there was ever light, God was there hovering above, watching over His creation.  We can be confident that no matter how dark this world may seem to be, God is still here watching over His creation.  He is with us in the darkest of times, even when we feel as if we are sinking into the miry clay of a slimy dark pit.

Father God was with Jesus as darkness covered the earth the day of His crucifixion. I can imagine that day being as black and dark as the days when the earth was but an empty formless mass, with God hovering above it.  When Jesus, the light of the world died on the cross, the darkness returned. Without Christ, there is no light.  BUT... Thank God THE LIGHT arose and is alive forevermore!

Literal darkness is something many fear.  From the time we are young we are drawn to light.  What may lurk in the shadows is nothing most of us want to meet up with even as adults. We all may want to leave that night lite shining when fear tries to creep in through a foreboding thought, or dream.

There is also a spiritual darkness that is very real that should be not only feared but avoided altogether.  It is sometimes not clearly cut and dry to those the enemy chooses to prey on.   There is not a sign to those saying, "This is dark. This is light."  Choices in life are something we should pray on always.    

satan distorts the darkness and makes it appear beautiful and desirable. Eve fell for it in the garden, as do we today. She was a believer, but the devil twisted God's Word and she took a bite.  satan makes dark, evil things appear to be light good things. Isaiah 5:20 -  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

There are even those who choose to dwell (literally) in darkness instead of light in houses of worship these days. Whether their excuse be that the dark atmosphere is more intimate, that it helps the video presentations and special lighting achieve their maximum potential, or that this is what the younger Christian is looking for-allowing them to worship more freely; still I say, "What communion has darkness with light?" And my unspiritual side says, "Find a seat? I can't see a seat! I can't even see my hand in front of my face!"

 It seems to be like taking a step backward, like stepping out of the light and back to the darkness.

 Psalms 143:3 -  For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

After we rise from the miry dark pit, we never want to enter that place of death again literally, or spiritually. Jesus made a way out.

John 12:46 -  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 

1 John 1:5 -  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

However, dark houses of worship should not be our greatest fear. This seems like a petty thought when I think of the dark spiritual places Christians may find themselves in.  Alone - feeling lost, far from God and the touch of His hand and warm embrace.  Not being able to see the light that once shined so brightly - always longing to return to a place where you and God, not so long ago,  met intimately.  The hope of every Christian who has strayed from the intimacy of his or her Christianity is to return to that place.  

In my own quest to return to there, I have found if we take the tiniest baby step back toward God, He is right there ready to take a giant leap toward us. The last couple of weeks I have been taking baby steps, God has been doing some leaping.  I am reminded of the story of the Prodigal.  He probably was walking pretty slowly up the road toward his father, but the father RAN to meet his boy. 

Last week I heard a Word at a church that encouraged me to continue on, to finish the race that  I had begun. I have prayed a lot since then.   This week, I was walking pretty fast out of another church, a dark house of worship, wanting to complain about the darkness, but then I realized I heard a few encouraging words there as well. I took some more small steps in the right direction. I was having a conversation with God about all I had seen and heard. He encouraged me to research the subject of darkness.   I was excited that I had heard Him speak and tell me something I should write about.  God can meet you in the dark place. He is hovering over us always.   Today take a baby step out of your spiritual darkness.  I promise you the LIGHT of the world will run to meet you.