Here’s Help for Dealing with Your Darkness

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine.
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We began our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn this week. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He chases the shades of night away and turns darkness into day. Let’s think about this.

Shadows Flee

Chase the shades of night away,

Darkness is real. Sometimes it is so real it is as if you can feel it. Sometimes it is much more nebulous, barely recognizable as such.

But be it insidious or innocuous, it can not resist the light. I love that illustration that says all you have to do is turn a light on in a dark room and darkness has to flee. It has no choice.

The issue then is really only whether we want to be filled with light or dark. We are familiar with both, and all of us as followers of Christ have the light to exile the dark. Christ has faithfully given us His Holy Spirit to establish us and guard us against the evil one.  He by no means expects us to do it on our own.

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

We face darkness of many kinds, but generally, it comes from one of three sources: the world, the flesh, or the devil. To deal with these shadows, and deal with them me must for there is truly no avoiding them altogether, we must look to the light and let God establish and guard us against the schemes of the evil one. Our Lord is faithful and will do it.

Are you familiar with what those shadows are for you? The influences that cast darkness over you life, some you invite and others which encroach without any invitation. If you have tried to battle them on your own, you have no doubt learned how formidable those forces can be, much more daunting than a mere shadow. We need the light of the Holy Spirit to chase them away, so we must cultivate the ability to live in His presence which brings a lingering brightness to our minds that empowers us to combat them.

RESONATE!
The simple prayer of this hymn must be one with which we become very familiar. The Spirit is the light that can chase those shades of night away, but we must ask Him. Welcome Him regularly, but start again today. Ask Him to shine upon your heart right now and reveal any shadows present so you can partner with Him to see them flee. Then tomorrow, do it again. When this is your habit, those shadows that once loomed large will slowly lose their sway over you, to the glory of God!

Darkness Lightens

Turn the darkness into day.

I like that saying, “It is always darkest before the dawn.” Seems like it could be a real downer if you focus on the darkness, but I choose to see the end, the dawn. Scripture tells us this is what our God does.  Psalm 139:12 tells us even the darkness is as light to Him so He can actually turn darkness into day.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is probably the greatest example of this in history.

Some versions of this hymn say “Turn my darkness into day.” That resonates with me. I know I have a new nature in Christ, but I struggle at times with the residue of my old nature resident in my flesh. He has begun to turn my darkness into day, and the resurrection gives me the hope that one day that process will be complete.

The One who is working out that process in my experience of the Christ life is the Holy Spirit.  He is the abiding presence of God, His seal of our redemption, the promise of our transformation.  He wants to turn our night into day.  

For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29ESV

Have you ever used a lamp in the woods?  In a room, a lamp may light up the entire room, even if only a little at the edges.  In the forest at night, there is still plenty of darkness beyond the influence of the lamp.  Still near the lamp things are quite bright, and it can provide a very clear path even through the darkest of woods.

A similar thing can be said spiritually.  The Holy Spirit may not deal with all the darkness in one moment, but He lightens it.  What you need to deal with immediately around you can be seen clearly, as long as you stay near that lamp.

RESONATE!
We do not overcome the darkness by focusing on it, but rather by focusing on God.  As we welcome the light of His Holy Spirit, even our darkest moments, especially the darkest, are flooded with His light.  Do it today and every day. Pray for God to lighten your darkness as you draw near the lamp of His presence.

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Image Attributions
Chase the Shades of Night Away – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-love-romance-romantic-3124330/
Turn My Darkness into Day – https://pixabay.com/photos/silhouette-sunset-dawn-red-sky-4853010/