The LORD said He would dwell in thick darkness. 2 Chronicles 6:1
Since I was a kid, darkness meant something I couldn’t see could reach out and “get me.” I suppose we all struggle with that thought at some point or another. When I would babysit or if I was ever home alone – every light would be on. That’s still true at times to this day. Somehow seeing gives us the illusion of safety.
How interesting it is that God not only says He will go into the darkness, but He will dwell in the darkness. That’s like set up shop, build a house, settle into the darkness. How amazing that when I am at my lowest, exhausted or overwhelmed with circumstances, God marches right into the thick of it and chooses to be there with me. Amazing!
It reminds me of that passage in the Old Testament where Moses and the Israelites assemble at the base of Mt. Sinai to hear from God.
Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”…The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:18-21
God is not afraid of the dark. It’s almost like darkness just high-lights how powerful and pure He really is. “Moses went into the dark where God was.” How often do we avoid going into the dark forgotten areas of our life for fear we will lose ourselves, or simply because it’s more comfortable to stay right where we are. The people of Israel missed the opportunity to have true intimacy with God, not because they had a fear of God, rather they were afraid of who they thought God was.
1 John 1:5 says that God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. He is completely trustworthy. He has no hidden corners, no closets we can’t explore. He is everything He says He is.
In the New Testament, God shows up as one of us. He comes as Jesus – perfectly representing himself. He is desperately trying to reconnect with His creation…just as He attempted to do at Mt. Sinai so many years earlier. He came into the darkness of our sinful world and DWELT with us.
He is still doing it today – desperately wanting to meet us where we are, so that his light can shine in our darkness. He camps out with us so He can be near us and help is. It says in Luke 1:79, Jesus came to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
That is so sweet!
In The Meanwhile…
May we choose to not be afraid of the dark. We can know, with great confidence, that our God is right with us. He will not move until He can walk us all the way home….and when we get there, there will be no darkness at all.