[This reflection by Michael Goble was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 30/Apr/2023]
The Darkness and The Light are both alike to You
A friend of ours at a previous church, Christine, was a very bubbly and happy member of our home group. One day cycling home from work for lunch, she was hit by a lorry and suffered brain damage. She was never the same person again. One day I received a telephone call from her. “Please come, I feel so depressed.” As I left for her home Psalm 139 was laid on my heart. That’s good I thought, I shall be able to comfort her that the Lord’s presence was always with her, strengthening her and giving her peace.
As we spoke together about how she felt, I then started reading Psalm 139. “Where could I go from your spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Verses 7,9,10 AMP). That was what I wanted to share with her. But as I read on, “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be the only light about me, even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Verses 11,12 AMP).
Christine suddenly exclaimed, “That’s it, I was in darkness but the darkness is the same as light to God! I am really in the light.” I thought I knew what I was going to say to her but it was the Lord who spoke to her through His word to heal her. After that she used to send me Bible verses and words of encouragement.
Since the pandemic, Barbara and I have felt that problems and depressions have been crowding in on us. But I have also noticed that people we know, whether Christians or of no faith are going through similar problems more than before in their own lives. They may be physical or mental health weaknesses, financial problems, family and relationship difficulties, or challenges to our faith. We can grasp the same truth as Christine, that Jesus heals us as we see that He is with us in the darkness, and brings His light into our every situation.
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Last week’s reflection: Teach Us How To Pray by David Makanjuola
Contributed by Michael Goble; © Michael Goble