He leads, not leaves (John 1:5)
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At Valley View, I long to cultivate a climate of generosity, of worship and of prayer. One of unwavering trust and confidence in Jesus, empowerment, and one of growth and stability.
Although he seems a bit quiet, I believe that God is at work in the world. I have said before that this is a season of fasting, of waiting of wondering and a season of hope.
Trials come, in one full swoop God is refocusing us and reminding us that we are not in control, He is.
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;
Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Lead not Leave
Jesus will meet you in the dark places of your life.
The verses I will allude to here don’t mean “wickedness or evil.” I’m not encouraging rampant sin.
I am advocating becoming comfortable with the dark, as children of light,
For the purposes of this sermon, “darkness” is a quality not of depravity but of ambiguity.
From day one, God has invaded the dark. In the beginning.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Light wasn’t creation’s canvas—darkness was.
And the Lord was there, already at work before light was a thing.
God has situated Himself in the dark.
God has situated Himself in the dark in a very real way, and wherever our Father is is home to us. Love casts out fear, so we can rest despite the fact that we can’t see.
If we truly hold to the verse that cries, ‘How lovely is Your dwelling place,’ how can we despise that dwelling place?
Lack of light doesn’t mean a lack of the Lord’s presence; there’s actually a good chance He’s waiting for us in the shadows.
The light of the world is at home in the dark.
Just listen to David’s song of awe: Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne (Psalm 97:2).
We all face times we can’t see well enough to maneuver on our own.
How comforting it is to know that the One who fights for us is drawing us to Him, expanding our faith in the middle of the night.
As uncomfortable as an absence of light makes us, God meets us there.
Micah 7:8
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
If you’re in a season of darkness (confusion, waiting, conflict), take heart. You’re not in the dark alone.
A little black hole. That sometimes doesn’t feel little.
It hangs like a cloud — blocking the sun, casting shadows.
Maybe it’s an argument you've had with a family member one too many times.
Maybe it’s an issue with one of your kids.
Or maybe it’s a recurring frustration with a friend.
Each of these things can be hard and feel like a black hole.
Recently I was up at night praying and crying out to God to help me better process some of the hard situations in my own life.
I asked God to shed some of His light on what I’m struggling through so I don’t get lost in the darkness of confusion.
His voice wasn’t loud or definitive. Just a slight shift of my thoughts to be more in line with truth, and I knew light was defeating my darkness
The same God who used a lack of light as His creative canvas can shape a Genesis week in you if you wait on Him.
He will share with you the hoards of secret places, showing off His power and pursuit of you, drawing you in and enjoying your company as you sit together.
Who knew the dark could be such a gift?
He will not LEAVE you, instead he will LEAD you to freedom and light.
Watch for him.
Listen for him.
He’s coming for the rescue.
Our enemy wants to take you to the dark places.
Jesus will take you to the deep places, to drink of new life and hope.
Look at all the prayers that have been answered with this situation.
Look at the strength I’m gaining in the process.
Look at the reality that a black hole isn’t a black whole.
Jesus reminds us, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”(John 8:12b, NIV).
He also assures us in our key verse that darkness cannot win against light,
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Ask Jesus to shed His light on your situation today.
Look at this from the perspective of Jesus.
Look at this from Jesus’ perspective. Use truth to do something positive in this area today. Invest the time to make a little imperfect progress right there.
In the dark place.
That won’t be so dark with a little light cast upon it.
Father God, I need Your light. Light defeats darkness every time. And while I might not have all the answers to my struggles right now, I am seeing more hope than ever. Jesus is my light. And because of Him, even my darkest nights aren’t so daunting and confusing. Thank You for leading me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for lighting the way for me — day by day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
