A few weeks ago, I wrote about how life seemed rather dark and how I was searching for a light in the gathering gloom. In the course of this waiting and seeking and wondering about the dark place I was living in, I went back to one of my favourite Psalms – the 23rd, which has proved such a haven in the past.
I love these verses, they bring comfort and peace, but as Trevor Hudson exhorted in a recent sermon, we should be looking for the unfamiliar within the familiar; God is so good at revealing something new in the most well-known of passages of Scripture and He was faithful once again.
In verse 4, the writer tells of dark periods in his life: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” (NLT)
What struck me was that when we are in a dark place, and cannot see the way ahead, God can use other ways to help us know He is there. We were created with five senses as well as having knowledge and feelings, and although the darkness often seems to suck out all joy, and muffle the senses, we can learn to notice and become aware of the wide range of imaginative ways in which God comes alongside us in our trouble.
God’s rod and staff metaphorically touch us, and keep us on the path, even when we cannot see a way ahead. We can know that God is close beside us, even if we can’t feel His presence, and that can alleviate our fears.
In other parts of the psalm, we can feel the comfort of lying down in peace in green pastures, be refreshed by cool, still water, know the relief of restoration of our souls.
We are anointed with oil, and invited to a banquet of good things, more than we need. We taste and see that God is good. Sometimes this has to be intentional and sometimes it comes as an unexpected gift.
We can think back over all the good things that God has given us, and the times we have known His presence with us throughout our lives, as well as looking forward to more of that goodness and mercy even in the midst of our darkness.
We can hear his promises, and cling to them, listen to stories of his faithfulness to others and trust that He wills everything for our good, however hard that is to see at the moment.
We can choose to praise Him, despite everything, raising our hands and voices in telling of God’s goodness.
Let’s not let the darkness swallow us up or cling to our disappointments. Let’s use our senses to see God’s goodness in the world around us, through sound and touch and taste and smell, as well as sight. Let our minds dwell on His promises, his attributes and His beauty. And let the true Light shine into our darkness as we trust Him for the future that He knows even when we don’t.
From Tundra to Tropic 