God wants to be known by every person in every generation and from every nation, which is a theme that runs throughout the entire biblical narrative. God designed us to know him; our ultimate good is found in that discovery.
We are in a series called The Landscapes of Life, discovering how they are the canvas on which God paints his glory. Each landscape is an opportunity to experience God’s presence uniquely, fulfilling his desire that we know him as he is rather than as we would imagine him to be.
It should not surprise us that God would use all our life events to accomplish that purpose. The challenge for us is to intentionally cooperate by seeking to know him through His Word and discovering him through our landscape experiences, ultimately declaring what we discover to the world around us.
In this blog, we will explore the landscape of darkness. We usually use the term darkness as a metaphor for evil and a description of the absence of light. I will use the latter as our picture for the landscape of darkness.
We frequently contrast darkness with light, but they are fundamentally different. Light is a physical property that has a source and can be measured. On the other hand, darkness is not a physical entity. It is only described in reference to the absence of light. For example, we can go to Lowes and purchase a flashlight but not a flashdark.
In the same way, spiritual darkness is the absence of spiritual light. An extreme level of spiritual darkness has been described as the “dark night of the soul.” The phrase originated from a poem by St. John of the Cross. Secular and religious counselors use it to address a broad category of stressful conditions, including depression. This level of darkness is the spiritual equivalent of physical depression.
Although some may experience a “dark night of the soul,” most of us experience our darkness as varying degrees of cloudiness. It is not that light is absent but that it is obscured. I describe the landscape of darkness as a period when our lives lack clarity; we feel confused, disoriented, and lack direction. We may not be entirely overwhelmed, but doubt diminishes our hope, and our souls long for light and the clarity it brings.
The theme of light is common throughout Scripture which identifies light sources as:
- The Bible (Ps 119:105, 130)
- Jesus (John 1:4-9)
- God (1 John 1:5, Dan 2:22, Psa. 27:1; Psa. 18:28)
- The face of God (Psa. 31:16; 44:3)
- Believers (Matt. 5:14-16; Eph 5:8)
- The Kingdom (1 Peter 2:9
- Believers (Matt. 5:14-16; Eph 5:8)
- The face of God (Psa. 31:16; 44:3)
- God (1 John 1:5, Dan 2:22, Psa. 27:1; Psa. 18:28)
- Jesus (John 1:4-9)
It is abundantly clear that as people of faith, we are to “walk in the light as He is in the light.” So why does our journey sometimes take us into the darkness? Several possibilities emerge based on the testimonies of those who have walked in and through the landscape of darkness.
The first time I experienced total darkness was when our family was touring a cave in New Mexico. Our guide took our group down a descending walkway into a large cavern of stalactites and stalagmites. Once we were all stationary, he demonstrated total darkness by turning off all the electric lights. I couldn’t even see my hand next to my nose! Then, our guide lit a solitary match. In the darkness, the importance of that little flame was huge. I could not take my eyes off it.
Sometimes God uses the landscape of darkness to eliminate competing light sources and encourage our focus on the light of Scripture. For example, the ubiquitous cultural influence can cloud our lives, preventing us from seeing the true light. Our vision can also become cloudy when books about the Bible influence us more than the Bible itself. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psa. 119:105 emphasis mine). (See also 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12).
The landscape of darkness can also result in a new perspective. Our eyes get recalibrated in the darkness so that when the clouds roll away, our life is seen with greater clarity, simplicity, and appreciation.
God can also use the darkness to convict us of sin, for which we need to repent. As kingdom citizens, we are to be God’s image bearers and the light of truth to this world. Unfortunately, we often become careless and allow dust and dirt to distort the effectiveness of our light, making our life and message of truth incongruent, irrelevant, and even useless.
In the days when there were lighthouse keepers, they would need to continually keep the lens of their lighthouse clean for the flame to shine effectively. A dirty lens distorts and limits the power of the light source. Likewise, we need to clean our “lens” by using the promise of 1 John 1:9.
Living in the landscape of darkness is also an excellent time to remember how God has provided light in the past. It may not have been all the light we wanted, but it was all we needed to take our next step. Looking back, we can see the providential hand of God. He was leading us along, even though we didn’t see it. God’s providence is most clearly seen when looking backward.
During a period in my 20s, I was especially anxious about the direction of my life. I was anxious, confused, disoriented, and desperately searching for clarity about my future. I had no direction about a career or marriage. I had several options, but nothing was clear. On a long walk late one night, the question came to me, “What is the biggest decision you need to make right now?” My reflective answer was “to decide if I would go to bed, wake up, and have a daily appointment with God.” It was like God was saying, “That is all you need to know right now. Do that, and I will take care of your future.” A memory verse came to mind. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT). So I went to bed, and when I woke up, I had my appointment with God.
God also uses the landscape of darkness to humble us, allowing God to remain a mystery. We do not have all the answers, but we learn by faith to accept it as OK. The story of Job comes to mind as his story illustrates our intense desire to know answers to the why questions of life. But God frequently does not give those answers. Instead, as he did with Job, he reminds us that he is the sovereign, almighty Creator, and answers to no one. And like Job, we must humbly recognize that even with the light of Scripture, God remains a mystery, and his ways are far above our understanding (Isaiah 58:8-9).
So, how can we respond when traveling through our landscape of darkness? Several possibilities come to mind.
- Wait on God. Until God gives more light, do not force a direction. Isaiah 64:4 says that while we are waiting, God is working.
- Review the light we do have. Review God’s promises and claim his power and willingness to fulfill them. “Don’t doubt in the dark what God has revealed in the light.”
- Focus on God’s character. Be like a child holding on to their parent’s hand when the lights go out in the cave.
Like our other landscapes, we do not need to fear, seek to avoid, or hurry through the darkness, but we need to be confident that God will show up in it. Let’s not miss all God wants to reveal about himself in the darkness.
“I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things” (Isa. 45:7 NLT).
For Reflection
1. Remember a time when you were walking in a landscape of darkness. How did you feel? How did God use it in your life?
2. What Scriptural promises can you claim when you are in the darkness?