songs in the dark
brad September.25.2003
have you ever been in a completely dark room? it's hard to be in a completely dark place in your home. there's always a small bit of light coming from outside or the blinking 12:00 on the vcr. have you ever been in a completely dark place? the darkest place i've ever been was a cave while on a school trip in 5th grade. we were several yards underground in a room in the cave that was about the size of a normal living room. all of my classmates and i turned our flashlights off. it was dark. so dark that we literally couldn't see our hands in front of our faces.
before turning our lights off our guide gave us a simple word of advice. when we turn our lights off, don't move. duh. the ground wasn't level, there were people everywhere, if we were to decide to walk around we would definitely end up hurt. he didn't really have to tell us that. but he knew how 5th graders were. he knew that we would be foolish enough to try and run around or pull a prank or just in general be stupid. the funny thing is...spiritually...most people are still that foolish.
dark times come in our lives. how we react to these dark times says alot about our character and where we are on our journey with Christ. usually in a dark time we react by saying "God, what have i done? why is this happening to me? where am i failing you?" and we endlessly search our lives for the places we are falling short. sometimes though the darkness is not punishment. sometimes the darkness is brought because God needs you to be there for you to learn to wait on Him. He wants you to say "God, i am here. i am going to stay here and continue to be faithful, continue to seek You and continue to serve You and when You're ready to lead me out of this darkness, take my hand and lead me out."
sometimes God remains silent during these dark times. in Habakkuk the prophet cries out to God complaining about the apparent injustice that is about to fall on his people and God responds. Habakkuk still doesn't understand how God can allow His chosen people to be conquered by the evil Babylonians so he complains again, but this time God is silent. Habakkuk doesn't give up on God. he doesn't go on with his life and forget to listen for God's answer. he *waits*.
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Habakkuk 2:1
Habakkuk waited on God to say to him what He wanted to say during this dark time. are we willing to wait on God? are we willing to accept what is in our life and wait on God to lead us out of it? do we have the faith in God to believe that He hears our cries, He is watching over us in the darkness, and when it is time, He will come and take us by the hand and lead us out into the light?
