You CAN Make It Through Dark TimesSample

Introduction:

Even after adjusting our perspective, it may seem like our troubles cast a shadow on our path, making the light at the end of the tunnel look more like a small, flickering candle. The shadowy tunnel's darkness seems to surround and embrace us until the small flickering light becomes nothing more than an irrelevant annoyance. I use this symbolism because for many of us, the "darkness" is analogous to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual hardships. The flickering light of hope and anticipation sometimes seems more annoying than helpful. Giving up may appear to be the only option.

Allow me to encourage you.

Matthew 6:22 NLT says, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light."

Devotion:

This verse seems oxymoronic when compared to the picture I painted above. Darkness is the absence of light. Scientifically speaking, human vision is unable to distinguish anything without illumination. With that said, how can our eyes act as a lamp in a dark situation?

That question led me to my own philosophy: We can find our own light in times of darkness. We do so by applying the below principles that I'll present in another easy to remember acronym: L.I.G.H.T.

Light at the end of the tunnel. The first thing I will challenge you to do is shift your perspective of the “light at the end of the tunnel.” It's easy to view the light as simply an escape or exit from dark times. We exclaim, “If I can only make it to that light, I will be out of here!” The issue with that simplistic view is it does not allow room for “life.” Some days we feel like we make significant progress, but most days we trip, stumble, and sometimes fall as we focus on the exit and not the things around us. That makes the light seem like a distant dream or “hope deferred” as the great Maya Angelou called it.

Take another look. Don’t view the light as "the end;" instead, view the light as a tool that reveals the things around you. At times, that light may seem distant, but in times of darkness, even the smallest light will expose the stumbling blocks that lurk in the shadows. Psalms 119:105 KJV says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path."

When you view the Light as a resource, you begin to learn and grow from the dark environment. You recognize and quickly step over stumbling blocks in your path that you previously would have missed. So yes, the Light may signal "the end," but it's also the tool that illuminates your path.

Inspiration. What inspires you? What is your “why?” We get tired sometimes as we traverse the dark tunnel. We ask ourselves, “What’s the point?” That’s when our inspiration kicks in! Just like in Jeremiah 29:11, God made each of us for a purpose, and that gives us hope in our future. It pushes us to limits we didn't know we had. It drives us along our illuminated path.

So how do you find what inspires you?

• Surround yourself with positive people who are headed in the same direction. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
• Think about the issues you are passionate about changing.
• Find people you can help lead through dark times.

Our inspiration is usually centered around the value we bring to others. We all have a calling or purpose that is greater than ourselves. Allow that purpose to be your inspiration.

Growth. My good friend and popular artist, Aha Gazelle, said it best, “The hardest thing about growing is you can’t feel the movement.” (Song: Invitation by Aha Gazelle). That is a profound message and fundamental truth.

I remember how it felt when I started playing basketball as a young child. I knew you didn’t have to be tall to play basketball, but it was a huge help! So everyday, I would stand against the wall and record my height with a pencil. It was very discouraging because I could neither see nor feel the growth. Eventually, I started to measure my height out of habit instead of anticipation. After a few months, I noticed my pencil mark moved a little higher. I was thrilled. “I grew overnight!” I thought.

That’s a fairly humorous comparison, but don’t we do this as adults? No matter how far we have actually progressed, we feel like we have not made significant progress. Stop doing that to yourself! Every step forward is progress that you should be proud of! The growth is happening even when you don't see or feel it. Celebrate your growth!

Hardships. 1 Peter 5:10 NLT says, "‭‭In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation."

I want to re-emphasize my point from Day 1 of this devotion: hardships exist to make us better. That hurts to even think about. We have spent so many years looking at darkness and hardships as a negative; when in reality, they are necessary for our growth. As I shared in Day 1, the gym is full of things that can either crush you or make you stronger. It all depends on your perspective.

Just like hardships, gym equipment is designed to create micro tears in your muscles. The amazing part is our body heals those micro tears to make our muscles stronger and more resilient than they were before.

So always remember that your hardships may cause pain or “micro tears,” but you will become stronger because of it! I know it's hard to fathom, and it may seem impossible that you will become stronger as a result of the hardship you are experiencing right now. But like Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” God will restore, support, and strengthen you!

Time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT says, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."

Why is it important to see, learn, grow, and develop while in darkness? Because it takes time to make it through. I have always been a fan of taking action and making the most out of every second we have here on Earth. Embrace where you are, and invest time learning more about yourself and growing those around you.

It's hard to embrace where we are when we're in a dark situation. That's when we must place our faith in God, believing that, "[He] causes everything to work together for the good of those who love [Him] and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28 NLT). Be comforted in the fact that your path will become brighter and brighter as you traverse dark times. You can and will make it! I believe in you!

Prayer:

Father, thank You for walking alongside me in my dark experiences. I'm grateful that You care so much about me that You are consistently molding me into a stronger person regardless of the circumstance. Please help me to remain focused on You, the Light, so I won't become weary and give up. Guide me through my darkest times, and help me to come out more refined. Let people be attracted to the Light inside of me as I pursue Your purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen.