LOVING THE DARKNESS OF SORROW

I awake in a dark prison, yet I am free—a light apart from darkness. But the darkness exists, and I have learned that it is better to wake up in dark circumstances with God’s presence than to wake up alone in presumed light. Even in times of trials amid darkness, when one is with God, the lessons gained and the understanding attained are deeper than that which is learned in the pretentious light.

My devotional reads, “I have learnt to love the darkness of sorrow; there you see the brightness of His face.”

Curious. How can one “love the darkness of sorrow”?  I ask myself this question; then I realize the importance of the word “learned” in the beginning of the quote. We may “learn” to always have a View Apart, even when darkness comes.

Learn:  to acquire knowledge or understanding; to be informed; to find out; to memorize.

Learning requires a decision to do so, a drive for information, a determination to understand, a desire to become skilled. In all our situations, something may be learned; but in which direction do we head while lost in the darkness of sorrow—farther into the darkness or into God’s brightness?  When I look around in my environment I easily perceive the “darkness of sorrow” on so many faces.  The sorrow could serve as their teacher, yet many learn the wrong lesson.

Often, in the darkness, we try to find our own way by relying on ourselves or the wrong guidance. We rush about rather than “Be Still” in the darkness.  This frenzy impairs the refining process and offers no relief.  When darkness comes, it is for our needed repairs and offers perfect relief—through the learned response of seeking “the brightness of God’s face”!

It took prison for me to learn the truth of this revelation, but it just goes to show you that the brightness of God’s face can be seen anywhere—when we learn to yield to Him when darkness comes. With my View Apart, I see clearly that the light may be shrouded, but the covering is for our benefit as we LEARN to trust God in the darkness.  We must learn to love our painful circumstances and use them to feel God’s peace, mercy, and grace.  Experience is the greatest teacher, and even when the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel cannot be seen, God promises: “I will make darkness light before them” (Isaiah 42:16).

However, the absence of darkness and trials does not necessarily indicate blessing. In fact, it is in the captivity of darkness that we are able to see God’s blessing more clearly. It is in “learn[ing] to love the darkness” that our hearts and minds are opened, as God opens His arms.  “I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity” (Jeremiah 29:14).

In learning to love the darkness of sorrow, you will see the brightness of God’s face. Learn the lessons now, for darkness shall come!

[Excerpt from "Imprisoned by Peace"]