In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. – Psalm 4:8

I find myself often sitting in the darkness. The longer I sit, the more it bears down on me, until the darkness just feels like one big ache. I physically feel it, leeching out all the warmth and hope I gathered into my heart during the day.

The nights are so quiet. It starts out as a blessed silence, almost refreshing. But in no time at all, I find it difficult to breathe. Have you ever felt so alone that you think it’s a physical garment covering you?

I’ve been studying recently about darkness and light. So often in the scripture, darkness is portrayed as a time for evil, a place of evil. And yet, as pain makes sleep elusive, we so often find ourselves sitting in the somber, lonely, quiet of darkness and night.

The dark nights hold fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7

The shadowy dark means doubts and questions.

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. – Hebrews 6:28

As darkness gathers, so do my worries.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. – Philippians 4:6

These evils, these separators of God and His children… they stalk me in the darkness.

So now each night I sing praises, chasing away the creepy crawlies. I turn the pages in the love letter He wrote to me. I turn every light on in the room I’m in to remind me of this truth:

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:4-5

Don’t let the enemy sneak up on you in the dark, Dear Ones. Shine the light with me, won’t you?

Holy Lord, please help us to find the relief we need to be able to lay down and rest at night. When we’re awake in the darkness, help us to focus on You. Thank You for the marvelous light of Your Son and Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…

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May God Bless You,

Shelly