Learning to Trust God in the Dark
Yahweh Ori’s presence illuminates our darkness. As flicking on a light switch banishes the darkness in a room, so He banishes doubt and fear.
Corrie ten Boom said, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”
I visited Corrie’s former home in Haarlem, Netherlands, and stood in the closet where her family hid Jews during WWII. It is said that their efforts saved approximately 800 Jews, but those efforts also landed them in a Nazi prison camp after an informant disclosed their secret. Corrie’s father and older sister, Betsie, died in prison, and a clerical error set Corrie free less than two weeks after her sister’s passing.
Corrie endured darkness the likes of which you and I can’t begin to fathom, but her faith in God never wavered. Whereas some people in her position may have chosen to throw away all things remotely faith-related, she sat still and trusted the Engineer. In the end, he taught her to forgive her prison guards and gave her a platform to share the Gospel. She died on her birthday in 1983 at age 91, but her testimony continues to inspire millions around the world. (excerpt from Names of God: Knowing Peace)
Why can we trust God in the dark?
I’ve experienced a few dark tunnels, too. I’ve written about them in Names of God: Living Unafraid and Names of God: Knowing Peace. Personally, I would never have chosen to journey through those tunnels, but I was able to trust God as the Engineer because of who He is as manifest through His biblical names.
For instance, Yahweh Rohi tells us that He is our good Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). As such, He always has our best intent in mind.
El Roi tells us that God knows and sees us (Genesis 16:13). We might feel overlooked and invisible to others, but we’re always in His sight.
El Shaddai infers that He is sufficient to supply all our needs (Genesis 17:1-2). No matter how impossibility big our need is, He is more than enough to cover it.
And Yahweh Ori reveals that He is our light (Psalm 27:1). His presence brings order to chaos and fills the darkness of despair with rays of hope.
The Old Testament contains numerous names of God that show us what He’s like. Think of each name and characteristic as a facet on a cut diamond. Collectively, those facets reflect the beauty of God’s character. He is more than amazing. His faithfulness knows no end. His love for us never fails. That’s why we can trust God in the dark.
Lessons learned in the dark
While the dark isn’t our favorite place to be, it’s rich with opportunities to grow deep in our faith. Here are three lessons we can learn in the dark.
The dark is not dark to God
Circumstances that appear dark to us are not dark to the One who is light. He sees all things at all times and knows exactly what’s what. We can trust His sight when we cannot see.
“… To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” (Psalm 139:12 NLT)
The dark contains treasures
In Names of God: Knowing Peace, I wrote a story about discovering beauty in a cave. I would have missed seeing it if I’d not descended into the darkness. Our human bent fears the dark, but it holds treasures we would miss if we lived only in the light.
“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” (Isaiah 45:12 NLT)
The dark cannot extinguish the light
Yahweh Ori’s presence illuminates the darkness of our circumstances. As surely as flicking on a light switch banishes the darkness in a room, so He banishes the darkness of doubt and fear when we invite Him into our situation.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5 NLT)
Scripture verses to help us trust God in the dark
Focusing on the truth of God’s Word keeps us anchored when the darkness of difficulty descends. Here are a few verses you might find helpful. Write them out and post them where you’ll see them often.
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. (1 John 1:5 NLT)
The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? (Psalm 27:1 NLT)
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)
My friend, sooner or later, we’ll all travel through a dark tunnel in life. The enemy of our soul will tell us to throw away our ticket and jump. He’ll tell us that the Engineer doesn’t know what He’s doing, and we can’t trust Him.
May I make a suggestion? When the enemy feeds you those lies, kick him off the train. You can trust the Engineer, so rest in His expertise, look for treasures in the dark, and do not be afraid.
How about you?
What lesson have you learned in the dark?
Know you are loved,
Grace
My book, Names of God – Knowing Peace, reveals how seven names of God can bring peace in today’s chaotic world. Drawing from the Bible and real-life insights, it shows how these names point to the ultimate source of peace our souls crave.
My book, Names of God – Knowing Peace, reveals how seven names of God can bring peace in today’s chaotic world. Drawing from the Bible and real-life insights, it shows how these names point to the ultimate source of peace our souls crave.
I have learned that God knows where we are at and meets us and speaks to us through His Spirit and through godly people like yourself. He is the quiet whisper in the storm.Like He reached out to Elijah in his dark place.He is still doing it today.
Dealing with a dark place that will take a miracle..what to do?
At those times He reminds us who we are and whose we are.
He is our light in our darkness..
His presence changes everything.At a lose this morning..I asked what to do to regain some balance..yard work and talk to God.Refocus not one the battle.Then He reminded me..Light dispels darkness 🤔
Wonder why your parents gave you the name they gave you.I knew it would give you strength when you needed it.Now you need to remember.
Donna means Lady
Elaine means light.You just forgot.. remember.
So you can see how spirit led your email was.
Thank you Grace.
Donna(one of three cousins who have prayed for you.
Hi Donna! Thanks so much for posting your thoughts here today. I love that the Holy Spirit reminded you this morning, “Light dispels darkness.” And then He reminded you of the meaning of your middle name — light. And then He prompted me to write about the Light in this blog. (I ususally send my blogs and updates on Tuesdays, but I sent it on Monday instead this time to ensure the maximum amount of readers would see the Zoom link for Tuesday evening).
So, three messages on the same theme in a short period of time. That’s how He works when He wants to get our attention, right?
Be encouraged today, my friend, in knowing He loves you!
Blessings (with thanks for the prayers),
Grace
Oh Grace!
Thank you!! thank you for sharing about your time in Corrie’s home…I couldn’t believe you were actually standing in the closet where she and her family hid the Jews…I tried to imagine being in that closet with others in the dark…it must have been agonizing……but God delivered them!
Thank you for Lauren D’s soul-refreshing worship song!
And…I loved your “light”verses to cling to each day….!! I have one of them inscribed on a rock which sits on our patio table!….reminding me over and over WHY fears must FLEE when I call out to my “Light”! My El Roi!
Blessings to you!
Debby C.
Hey, Debby! It’s great to have you onboard. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean! Thanks for joining this community. I hope you enjoy it and find that it nourishes your soul.
Know you are loved,
Grace
My word of intention for the year is “Light”. Thank you for sharing this. I was reminded as I was reading it that light shows its brilliance with darkness. For example, the moon is brightest at Night. It’s hardly visible during the day. When darkness comes around, the moon shines its brilliance!
Darkness helps us see the light.
Ps. Our company’s name is “A Brighter World”. There’s a tragic story behind the name – I should post it on our website. My brother in law died after a fall on the job site and it was his company’s name. We adopted it as a memory to him and his Legacy.
Hi Cathy!
You’re absolutely right about darkness helping us see the light. That’s true in both the physical and the spiritual sense. Thanks for telling us about your brother-in-law. How wonderful it is for you to take a tragedy and turn it into something good that honored his legacy.
Know you are loved,
Grace
Hi Grace,
Thank you so much for sharing about your time in Corrie’s home. I read that story in college. Thank you, as it made me glad to hear her family saved so many Jewish families. Like you said, “We can’t fathom the fear the Jewish and the Ten boom families endured. So thankful, “The dark cannot extinguish the light.” Our God is so good! Thank you again for sharing your experience from Ten Boom family.
Hi Jeanette:
You’re welcome! I felt like I was in sacred space as I walked through Corrie’s house and climbed into the closet where so many men and women hid from the Nazis. What a legacy she and her family left! Her courage and wisdom have inspired millions. May we all be found as faithful no matter what our circumstances bring.
Know you are loved,
Grace