Beauty in the Dark
Isaiah 50:10 (NIV)
“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”
We’ve been taught to fear the dark. In high school, I watched a movie with Audrey Hepburn called, “Wait Until Dark” at a slumber party. I don’t think I slept at all that night….It wasn’t a horror movie, but the music and imagery was powerful to evoke anxiety-producing fear.
In Genesis 1, darkness is where we find God creating the heavens and the earth. In Psalm 139:12, David describes how “the darkness is as light to You.” Something is going on in the dark.
There’s another dimension of darkness that allows us to see what’s in the dark more clearly. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to find a space where there is complete darkness with no other lights around so I can gaze at the stars in the heavens.
Earlier this year, my friend Nancy, invited me to hear Anne Graham Lotz speak at her church. In her teaching, Anne was contrasting darkness and light. One of the questions she posed to the audience was, “What’s the black velvet in your life?” In her illustration, she focused on how a jeweler uses a black velvet background to display the beauty, light, and clarity of the diamond. When we consider the “black velvet” in our lives, we can ask the question, “What magnifies and displays the glory of God so others can see Jesus?” Can the darkness actually illuminate and be the means to display beauty and light?
In examining these words in Isaiah, there’s a remedy when we find ourselves in the dark, when we can’t see or find our way—trust and dependence. We are not alone in the dark. We have the God of creation, who made light standing next to us. We can trust what we can’t see. We can trust the One who can see. We are not left alone. We have a Savior who is faithful to keep His promise to be with us in the dark. God brings light into our darkness as we trust and rely on Him.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your promise that we are not alone. You are with us in the darkness. When we can’t see, You can see. Help increase our trust as we rely on You in the times we are afraid and alone. Thank you for being light to the big world and our little worlds. We praise You.
In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.