Segment 3 of Looking to the Light
Jesus is the Light of this world; His Light shines on our life and brings both conviction and direction. God helps guide us toward Him and stay on the path that He has for us. When we feel lost or trapped, it often seems like the darkness of this world is seeping in.
Sin
Sometimes that darkness is our own doing. We make wrong choices and have sins that we need to confess.
Psalm 139:23 is an excellent verse to pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” If we sincerely pray this verse, God will reveal the sins that we need to confess. 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
So often, we allow Satan’s lies to be louder than they should when we feel God convicting our hearts. Satan loves to use this time to scream that God will not forgive that; you should give up. You could fill in the blank with the lie that he yells at you.
My friend, can I tell you something? This is when we call on the name of Jesus and remember His words from John 2:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus will help you find your path again. We have to trust and seek Him.
Suffering and Trials
Other times we feel the darkness is when we experience heartache and trials. It is easy to get lost and feel abandoned, even by God. I have been there; my life felt utterly shattered. The pieces of my life lay in piles on the floor at my feet. I didn’t know how to begin picking them up. I kept questioning God as to why this was happening. Clinging to Romans 8:28, even though I couldn’t see how something good could come from this time, I prayed and asked God to help me out of the darkness surrounding me.
As he helped my heart heal, I remembered stories from the Bible. Sometimes the darkness is needed to help grow you into who God wants you to be. Paul was beaten and thrown in jail; Daniel was thrown in the Lion’s Den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went through the fire; they all knew one thing: God was with them. He closed the lion’s mouth and kept the fire from touching them. God comforted Paul and gave Him words to share while in jail. Just as He helped these men, God will also keep the darkness from overcoming us. We must trust God to get us through, no matter how long that journey is. Our Savior went through the worst trial and suffered more than humanity could fathom on that cross just so that we don’t have to suffer alone. He understands all of the pain that we are experiencing. Jesus is waiting with arms open wide, ready to hold us through the heartache and then guide us out of the darkness.
Dear Lord, we ask that you search our hearts, expose the areas that we need to turn over to you. Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on us and loving us. Lord, because of your love for us, we can stand firm on your promises even when we face the darkest moments of our lives. We know that you will always be by our side. We love you and praise your name. In Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen.
Following His Lead 