On a whim, I’m sitting in a different spot for devotions today. My bible and journal had been left on the dining table and as I turned the blinds to let in the light, I was drawn to the view. I typically prefer the desk in our office-guest room, with a window that faces the morning sun. Today, though, I’m sitting on the far side of the sunrise.
I can see the light-line slowly moving over the trees just past the pasture. The bright orb on the other side of the sky is still spilling over the horizon, and as a result, only the uppermost branches of the trees are bathed in light thus far. Everything below is still submerged in shadows. Scripture comes to mind.
“If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,” even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” (Psalm 139:11-12 NIV)
As I sit in wonder over God’s ability to see in the dark (both physical darkness and soul darkness), the sun continues it’s circadian tour: climbing higher in the sky and tugging the shadows from the woods. It’s not matter though, God can see through the grove in the dark and light alike. The difference has been made for me alone. Now I can see into the thicket. What was hidden and hard to distinguish has become… clear as day.
This morning, I see a significant opportunity for our souls, too. The light brings life, right? Trees and grass and plants and flowers only flourish when they receive regular sunlight. This is why we get patches of dirt beneath trampolines and dense canopies. A lack of light brings about death.
Our souls need Sonlight, too. We require the warmth and grace of Jesus in every corner of our darkness. Healing, growth and wholeness are the direct result of His presence. And He is already familiar with the most shadowed places in our soul. The sooner we can expose those hidden holdouts, the sooner we can experience spring in our soul: newness, beauty, purpose and delight.
Unfortunately, our strong tendency is to hide those dark places. (I get it, I’m an Enneagram 2, I don’t even like to admit that I might have a shadow side!) But withholding limbs of our life from God pulls them back from His blessing, that’s about it. He is already well-acquainted with our shadow, He knows it completely. The only one in denial about the dimmest corners of our soul is us.
Today, I’m reaching toward the Son. I’m unfurling my soul and giving God full access to the dark, hidden places kept form public view. I want His light and love to cover every part of my story. I’m believing Him to bring healing and hope to every nook and corner still shadowed. How about you?
“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to You: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness, we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.” (1 John 1:5-10 NLT)
Confession is such a powerful tool, my friends. Confession gets the darkness out of our hearts. Of course, we confess sin, (this is an ongoing, daily discourse in the life of a believer) but we also confess weakness, confusion, fear, concerns and feeling to a loving God who can address each of those conditions. “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NLT) is a powerful prayer for us to employ. God longs for us to live as open books with Him. True intimacy thrives on transparency. The God of the universe is not afraid of our shadow. Quite the opposite: He alone can conquer it and move us into a life of light and love instead.
Lord, thank You for the fresh perspective that comes from a simple change in routine. Thank You for the sun the rises each day announcing the retreat of darkness and fresh mercy. Thank You for offering Yourself to defeat our personal darkness, too. Lord, today we acknowledge our shadow: the dark cracks and crevices in our soul that are still stubborn to Your touch. Please forgive us for pulling back in fear or ignorance or obstinacy. We need Your persuasive light to spill over every branch and joint. We are unable to see apart from Your Spirit’s enlightenment. Illuminate our souls, Lord. Show us the places still gathering darkness. We open our lives to You today. Have free rein in our shadows. Fill them with Your inescapable light, perhaps for the first time ever. We commit to cooperate with Your healing, growth and wholeness. Amen.