Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus. It is very dark to set the tone for our reflections.
Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.
Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.
PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we considered Responding to Holy. This week we will consider our response to God’s holiness when darkness makes it difficult to see Him. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”
PROMISES
Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. Psalm 139:12 ESV
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV
PSALM: Holy, Holy, Holy originally was written by Reginald Heber in 1826.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
It is the first half of the hymn that we are going to focus on today, and particularly the idea of how darkness can often have the effect of hiding God. That darkness can be outside of us, or inside of us, it truly makes no difference because both impair our ability to see God’s presence, even though neither actually makes Him any less present.
PARABLE: Jesus told us that He is the Light of the World. He said it this way, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV If that is the true, and it is, why is it sometimes so difficult to see His light? Why does it sometimes feel like we are walking in darkness?
PONDER and WANDER:
If you choose, Ponder the questions: How can I find the light of Christ in the darkness of my life? What darkness seems to be hiding His presence from me today?
God wants His light to shine out of the darkness. Is there darkness our souls? Yes. Is God present there? Yes. God wants to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, and He does that through the face of His Son Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we struggle with darkness because we wonder why God would allow it. We assume darkness is a mistake or some kind of punishment. But do we have the faith to consider that maybe the darkness is God’s design because it is the best way for Him to reveal Himself to us?
Think of it this way. If everything is bright then the flame of the candle in the image above is at least a little more difficult to identify. But in the utter darkness of that photo, it is very simple. There is also a remarkable contrast between the two which makes the choice much simpler. We may be walking in darkness, but remember the Scripture from above, “darkness is as light with you.” The key word there, with.
So the issue becomes one of faith. Do I believe God is with me even in the darkness? You may want to say yes, but it is not easy. That’s ok. He understands.
Soul care training exercise: Maybe you simply need to let your soul become accustomed to the dark, never afraid for God is there with you. Think of it like when your eyes slowly adjust in a dark room. When you first enter, you may not be able to make out anything. But as your eyes adjust you can make out a little more.
If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise by setting aside time to look for Jesus in the darkness.
- Take time to still your mind and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- When you are ready, close your eyes and step into the darkness of your season with Him.
- Take a few minutes and listen to what Jesus is saying to you as you see to experience the Presence of God.
- Ask Him to shine in your heart to give the light of the knowledge of God.
- Then, let the flame of God’s Presence bring you to a deeper understanding of Jesus.
PRAYER: Jesus, You are with me in this darkness. It is as light to You, but I am struggling to see anything. Help my soul adjust, to take time to become accustomed to the scenario so that I can begin to make out your cross, and your path for me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank the Light of the World for showing Himself in your circumstance. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the light of Christ.
Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.
Until next time, be Resonant.
The post Looking for Light in Darkness appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image attributions:
Light in the Dark – https://pixabay.com/photos/candle-light-candlelight-flame-3508563/
Cross in the Dark – https://pixabay.com/photos/slovakia-star-trails-the-galaxy-3915350/
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