Shock tore through my body when I heard my mom’s voice on the phone, “If you want to see your dad alive, you need to come right now.” Thirty-six hours later, Dad passed from this life to his eternal home in heaven. Knowing that didn’t erase my pain. A cloud of grief settled over me. Sorrow choked my breath and threatened to crush me beneath its weight. Darkness became my constant unwelcome companion for many months. I needed the mighty weapon of truth.
David, the psalmist, was familiar with darkness (Psalm 139:11-12). He remembered moments when the darkness threatened to overwhelm and destroy him. He remembered facing circumstances so bleak that he felt as if the darkness would cover him.
Perhaps we’ve all felt what it’s like to be in the black hole of depression, where all we want is to hide from the world. What about the suffering of unspeakable loss or pain? The distress is bleak and full of fear, with no end in sight.
On such occasions, the light of God’s truth seems eclipsed by the darkness. But David provides hope. He reflects on how he overcame the feeling that the darkness would destroy him. He battled his feelings, and his weapon was the truth.
David moved from his burst of emotion to recalling the truth that darkness is as light to God. God knew, God saw, and God was with him in the darkness. God’s omniscience and omnipresence brought comfort.
When the darkness threatens to crush us, the truth of God’s Word is our mighty weapon. God knows all about the darkness we face. He sees clearly in our darkness and is present with us in our darkest moments. We feel alone and perhaps abandoned, but the truth is that God is there with us.
Darkness can be a catalyst to draw you closer to the Lord. It can push you down onto your knees in prayer. It can make you feel desperate for His Word and leave you longing for more of Him.
When you battle your feelings amid the darkness, remember God’s truths so those feelings don’t overwhelm you.
Rachel Coyle is a homeschooling mother, biblical counselor, Bible teacher, and freelance writer. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and six children, along with loads of laundry, dishes, and laughter.