Finding Light in the Dark

Cheri Strange, Ph.D.

For years we have made prayer a focus and decidedly marked Fridays as a day when we invite people to join together to pray for each other specifically for the needs of those associated with the She Years community. I’ve tried to throw out a graphic on social media that you may or may not see depending on the algorithms of FB and Instagram. But I became dissatisfied with those efforts. Most people have needs. Real needs we are not aware of. Over time I became increasingly burdened to pray over you. What if you don’t have people in your life praying for you? Unable to move away from the sense that I could do something about that, She Prays was born. And because one of the most powerful ways we can pray is to utilize the Word of God, She Prays on Fridays came to life. Today’s focus is on finding light in the dark.

Finding Light in the Dark Scripture

For you are my lamp, O LORD,
and my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:29-31

For you are my lamp, O LORD,

Not only does your God light up your room, but this phrase gives evidence of activity and vitality He offers in your life. He gives life to your life, if that makes sense, where otherwise you would have been dull or a little out of focus.

My God lightens my darkness

What kinds of things would be considered “darkness?” Well, what about anything you are confused about? Do you have issues in your life for which you don’t have all the answers? It is God who clears up the fog.

What about the darkness of sin? We go to Him for forgiveness and He lightens the heaviness of our burden by taking our guilt and shame away. Again and again.

How about all the trouble we face? The gloominess that can set in, spiritually, can suck away all the joy.

What other source in all of life can lighten your darkness? David’s declaration is –There is none. No one else can do what God can do. And then he moves to the practical day-to-day ways He can see and feel God at work in his life.

For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Okay, I realize this is not likely what you were doing today unless you are working with a herd of toddlers or kindergartners. But basically, David is declaring, that God makes him so able to do what He has called him to do, he can,  with His help, overtake an entire troop. He is communicating, “I don’t need no stinkin’ ladder to get over the wall that keeps me out of cities you have called me to overtake! YOU enable me to do super-human feats. You do it through me! And I recognize your presence moving me beyond myself to do what I cannot do without you.”

When I read this testimony of David, I think about my own life. What does God enable me to do I cannot do on my own. When I think through it this way, I am not only agreeing with God that, Yes, He can, but I am reminding myself that He can. (Because in the heart of the difficulties and pressures on top of me, I am so prone to forget what He can and will do.) So, like David, I’m going to ask Him to continue to do this miraculous work in and through me.

And then David affirms the Lord, his character, the reliability of His Word, and his trustworthiness.

This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

It’s like David wants to let out a big Hooyah!

I keep this set of verses in my rotation of what I want to pray over my own life, not only because it’s so true, but because I need the reminder helping me remember God’s faithfulness, His Character, and His abilities.  It helps me rely on the One who is my shield for whatever comes my way.

My Prayer for You Today

Lord,

Thank you for being the light in my friend’s life. I thank you for the life and vitality you give to her as you are very present in her life.  For your light tramples on the darkness she experiences. Your light gets rid of her spiritual gloom. Your light is able to put out the darkness from her sin or any trouble she finds herself in the middle of. You illuminate the way.

What’s so incredible are the things you do through her that she cannot do by herself. Only YOU know, Lord. But by You she can run against a troop and leap over a wall! Whatever that looks like in her life, I thank you for what you are doing through her, and I boldly ask you to enable her to do greater things than these.

And help her know no matter what the day brings, Your way is perfect. Your Word is true. You are her shield today, no matter what is on the agenda. Thank you for Your Word and for causing it to be active and alive in her today.

In the Name of Jesus, and for Your Glory, Amen.

Thanks for stopping by. I pray we meet again soon.

For His Glory,

Have you discovered Cheri on YouVersion where she has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from, such as:

Be sure to check out the Stirring Faith Podcast, where you will find encouraging episodes like this one:

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this: