Are your days filled with butterflies and rainbows or does despair sneek in when you least expect it? Has darkness consumed portions of your life that you wish it hadn’t? Oh how I wish I lived a life that was filled with ease and joy, but that is apparently not to be. I have often described my life as incredible blessings among tremendous burdens. I try to appreciate the blessings and learn from the burdens.

I have often felt it very odd to be able to encourage others and yet struggle at times so desperately to lift myself up. It just never made any sense to me why God “wired” me this way. How could I possibly encourage others when I sometimes really struggle with desparation? I was pondering this again the other day when it all became so obvious. God brought the simple answer right out into the light. To struggle with overwhelming depression at times means I know very well what it is to feel utterly hopeless. This is the only reason I can actually encourage others with any level of authenticity; I KNOW what the darkness feels like. I know what it is to be in a dark place where it doesn’t seem like there is any possibility of change, which is why I wanted to remind you of the scriptures that proclaim the light we have in Jesus during these dark times. There is NOTHING of this world that compares to the hope we have in Jesus.

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A couple days ago, I listened to Kris Vallotton pray “God you’re NOT the light at the END of the tunnel, you’re the light IN the tunnel.” Eureka that is exactly it!!! I just love this, God is right there WITH us IN the tunnel, providing light to guide us by. We aren’t desperately striving to see the light at the end of the tunnel if we just keep making all the right steps. No indeed! He is ALWAYS with us through every step of our entire journey. Psalms 18:28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

In John, Jesus declares that he is the light of the world. That we will NEVER walk in darkness if we follow him. NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS! Let that sink in. We need to declare this over the darkness and despair that the enemy is trying to consume our mind with at times. We walk with Jesus, the light of the world; we will NEVER walk in darkness. I urge you to speak this outloud and declare it over your circumstances. John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 12:46 says if we believe in him we will not STAY in darkness. We need to proclaim this when we feel like our trial will never end. John 12:44-46 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 

God is with us no matter the circumstances. We can be confident in his plans and purposes and that he will light our path and give us proper direction. Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Psalms 139:11-12 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. The darkness can seem so heavy sometimes, but not if we believe in our God. Basically this verse is telling us there is NO darkness if we trust in our God. There is no darkness for it is the same as light and happiness. If we looked at all of the things that bring us down (even sometimes when it is nothing at all) and truly believed that it was no different than our BEST day. What if we believe God is doing something amazing through it all (which he is) doesn’t that change everything? Maybe we can even learn to embrace the scripture that if we are honest many of us wince at… James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Proclaim that we are not childen of the darkness, but of the light! WE NO LONGER BELONG TO THE DARKNESS OF DESPAIR! 1 Thesssalonians 5:5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Your trials make you compassionate to those who are struggling to navigate through what you have already survived. Hopefully, you didn’t just survive, but you conquered! Even if you are still treading down that path of becoming victorious by putting one foot in front of the other, you have overcome more than the person just entering into that darkness. The light of Jesus that shines through you is a light to someone who has just entered that tunnel. Your understanding and ability to trudge through with perseverance the path that you found yourself on is a testimony to those walking behind you. You  can shed light into the darkness for someone who has no idea where to turn. With the light of Jesus within us, there is no room for the darkness. The love of Jesus that shines through you is literally what we are here to share. Ephesians 5:8,13 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

Luke 11:33-36“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”