Afraid of the Dark? God is There

The Lord has set the sun in the heavens but has said that he will dwell in the thick darkness. (I Kings 8:12)

I Kings 6:10-21; Ps. 139:9-12; Hag. 2:5-9; II Cor. 4:6; Rev. 21:23

What Is God Saying?

After years of waiting and sacrifice, the Temple of Solomon was complete. The ceremony of dedication was marked by reverent jubilation as the Ark and all the holy vessels were placed in their proper location. Then came the moment, so long awaited, when Solomon offered the prayer of dedication. The priests came from the Holy of Holies, but the cloud was so thick they could not see to go on with their duties. It was the Shekinah glory of the Lord. It was the same Presence that led the Israelites through the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; the same cloud that rested on Mt. Sinai; the same cloud that hovered over the first Tent of Meeting; the same cloud that covered the Tabernacle, dark by day and luminous by night. Now, as the Temple is dedicated, it comes again to fill the Temple.

It was a glorious and awesome moment. One wonders how Solomon could even speak. The effect of the Temple-filling cloud was so moving that Solomon's first words were lifted up to the God of Light, ‘He set the sun in the heavens but has said that he will dwell in thick darkness.’

How Does This Apply To Us?

God is everywhere present. The Psalmist knew that he could not escape the Divine Presence. However far or fast he might flee, God is already there (Ps. 139:7-9). If he tries to hide under cover of night ‘even the night shall be light about him’ (139:11). Yet there is another sense in which to think of God's Presence in thick darkness. Not only is He there when we are trying to hide from Him, but He is also there in the darkness when we need to find Him and to be found by Him. By faith, we can know that God is present even when the eye cannot see Him nor the mind understand Him. When the darkness of some trial or sorrow, when the nighttime of doubt and despair settles upon us, when we feel forlorn of spirit and have lost the way, there is a kindly Light that leads amid the encircling gloom. He has said He will dwell in thick darkness. In the Temple, that darkness was the proof of His presence. In the journey of life, on our way through the wilderness, the clouds that surround us could mean, not that He is missing, but that He is closer than ever. Trust Him in the thick darkness. He said He would be there.

Pray With Me

Lord, I thank You for the simple and wonderful gift of light. I thank You for the many blessings that flow from it. It is the source of energy and warmth and even life itself. The sun is the work of Your hand, evidence of Your power, and proof of Your unfailing love. I thank You for the days when clouds that seem so heavy and the nights that seem so long are changed by divine artistry into fresh creations of breathless beauty. I thank You for the bright sun at noon, in which we do our common work, oblivious to the greatness of the blessing of this, Your common light. I thank You for the rich and always varied splendor of the evening sky when the sun gives its flaming benediction. I thank You for showing Yourself in the blessings of common light.

Yet, Lord, there is a deeper truth I need to learn. You are near at hand even when Your presence is not obvious. You are strong to deliver and ready to uphold even when all seems lost and the path is covered with the thick darkness. Let me be aware of Your presence, Father, in times and places where the eye cannot see nor the mind understand. Let me discover You not as a man groping in the dark might happen to find a rail. Rather let I discover that in thick darkness You are dwelling. The cloud filled the temple and priests could not stand to minister. It is a harder prayer to offer. It is a bolder step of faith to take, but it leads to a joyful discovery: Thick darkness, as well as the clear shining of the sun, can be evidence of Your glory and assurance of Your power.

Above all, Lord, as You have set the sun in the heavens, so set Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness in my heart, that even in thick darkness I may walk in the confidence that I am never forsaken. That is the joy the world cannot take away.

To the praise of Your glory. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

We needn't be afraid of the dark. God is there. We needn't stumble and fall when there is no light. God's hand is there to guide We needn't lose our way when clouds close in. God is above and also in the clouds. Let our praying be the spiritual equivalent of radar by which God sees where we are and can bring us safely through all our dark nights and heavy seas. Trust Him. He said He would dwell in the thick darkness.

Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, said it for us all,

"Bright cloud, indeed, must that cloud be, When Jesus only the heart can see."