ALONE IN THE DARK

By David Foucar

In my last post, “Christmas in the Rearview Mirror”, I suggested that honoring God in the coming year should begin with the greatest command, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Mt 22:37). Since it’s still pretty early in the year, let’s add to that idea by recognizing that it is pretty hard to love God if we don’t realize that He is with us from day to day.

Now, most of us pretty readily recognize God when things are going well. It’s when things aren’t going the way we want them to that we tend to lose sight of God’s presence. Rest assured, the coming year is likely to bring both good and bad. Both joy and pain. But the truth is that God is with us in both the good times and bad times. Both the ups and downs. If we don’t see that truth, it is pretty hard to love Him fully.

When I was young, I was what you’d call a latchkey kid. My parents both worked, and I was often alone after school and during the summer. I wasn’t the only unsupervised kid in my neighborhood either. So, as you might guess, a group of us would hang out together. Fortunately, my particular group of unaccompanied minors didn’t get into much trouble. We were pretty good kids. While we didn’t get into too much trouble, we probably did some things that our parents would have frowned upon. Mostly dumb stuff.

It so happened that where I lived there was a flood control channel running through the middle of our neighborhood. (You can see the trouble brewing, can’t you?) I don’t understand it now, but for whatever reason, when you’re a sixth-grader there is a certain appeal to a flood control channel and we would play there. Sometimes, during the winter and spring, when there were low levels of water in the channel, it would be a haven for catching tadpoles, frogs, and sometimes other slimy, gross stuff. Innocent enough, right?

In the summer, the channel was generally very dry. When dry, the tunnels that fed the channel were exposed. The tunnels themselves came from all over. Carrying runoff from street gutters, manholes, etc. to the channel. Again, the mind of a sixth-grader. What’s the appeal? Anyway, these tunnels were often where I and my friends, unbeknownst to our parents, would sometimes hangout.

These tunnels were three to four feet high. Just big enough for a group of sixth-graders to walk in. Crouched over just a bit. And that’s what we did of course. We’d go inside, far enough for it to start to get dark. Then we’d turn on our flashlights and keep going. Sometimes crawling to avoid hitting our heads. And we’d keep going. Further and further. Darker and darker.

After what seemed a long way, probably not as far as thought, we’d sit and turn out our lights. Dark. Very dark. Pitch black darkness. If you’ve experienced total darkness, you can’t see your hand in front of your face darkness, this was it. It is an uncomfortable feeling, right? You lose a sense of which way is which.

Naturally, as kids we would think of ways to make it even more scary. Obviously, we told the scariest stories a kid could think of. Then, someone suggested silence in the darkness. How long could we go, with lights out, without talking? We couldn’t see each other and now we couldn’t hear each other either. Soon, I’d wonder, is anyone still there? I began listening for the sound of breathing. Did they leave me here? Am I completely alone? Alone in the dark?

It seems life is like that at times. We feel alone in the dark. Through the years, there have definitely been dark times for me. We all experience them. There is just no avoiding it. Our loved one passed away. We receive crushing news from a doctor. We are laid off just when things seem to be going in the right direction. Life in this fallen world simply brings difficulty. There are days that just putting one foot in front of the other is all we can handle.

As a child, in the darkness of that tunnel, I wondered if I was alone in the dark. If something were to happen, who would help? But that is never the case when we trust in God. David, in Psalm 23, puts it this way:

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me (Ps 23:4).

We are never alone. No matter how dark the valley. No matter how difficult the circumstance. Our God is right there with us. He says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5, Deut 31:6). In context, I love that the Hebrew writer uses this assurance when talking about money and contentment. In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are about to enter the promised land and they need God’s help. The circumstance is completely different but the assurance is the same. God never leaves us! Never. No matter what the circumstance.  

So, in the coming year, remember God is with you at all times. Yes, even when you don’t feel it. Both good and bad days. He has promised that He will never leave you. You are never alone in the dark! He is always faithful to us. That’s a great reason to love Him.

 David Foucar has a passion for teaching God’s word and has led Sunday School, Bible Studies, and Small Groups of all ages. He has served as a supply preacher and has been a lead speaker and seminar leader at Couples Retreats, Men’s Retreats, and Family and Youth Camps.

Dave’s first book, “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. The book provides a layman’s perspective on personal evangelism and the basics of the Christian faith. “What Do I Say When Asked about Jesus?” gives the average Christian tools to help share about Jesus while increasing confidence in their own faith.

Dave has been married for thirty-six years to the love of his life, Debbie. They have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two granddaughters.

Feature Image by StockSnap from Pixabay