Finally, the night arrived. It was fall festival night at our church, and we expected a large crowd. People began to arrive early, and the children were so excited. So much time and energy had been put into making this a night to remember, especially for the children.
There were some really creative people in our church, and they produced fabulous ideas. One of the “fun” things to do was to go through the maze that had been prepared. The cardboard maze went through two rooms and a hallway. One had to crawl through the many twists and turns.
As others went through the maze, I watched. It was not so challenging to watch others go through it, and I encouraged them along the way. It seemed they made an A+ as they made the journey. They had such joy through the twists and turns. While standing in the light before entering the maze, I was all smiles. At the end of the maze, as I exited there was light and laughter. But the in-between was total darkness. TOTAL DARKNESS.
As I began my journey through the maze, I thought this would be a breeze. About ten feet into the darkness, I felt fear grip me. It was so dark, and I could not see my way. I did not know when the next wall would come. I did not know when the next left or right turn would come. The only choice I had was to keep moving, knowing that this would not last forever. It only lasted five minutes but felt like hours as I pressed through the darkness, the twists, the turns, and the walls. I knew that what I was experiencing at the moment, would not last forever. That truth helped me maneuver all the darkness and every twist, turn, and wall.
We all have times when we feel we are in a dark maze, and we wonder what twist or turn is next. Or we have hit a wall, and the darkness seems to hold us captive. The Truth is always with us, and He will bring us out of the maze of darkness.
We want our spiritual life to be an upward journey of growing closer and closer to God and becoming more like Christ. That is certainly my desire. In reality, our growth does not progress in a straight upward line. Nor does our experience of intimacy with Christ. Our journey goes up and down, forward, and backward.
I always want God to remove the darkness that seems to engulf me at times. After more than fifty years of walking with God, I have learned that my greatest need is not to get out of my dark moments, but my greatest need in darkness is the presence of God. And that I have! If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you have the presence of Jesus with you even in dark times.
If you find yourself in a dark place today, remember that Jesus, the lover of your soul, is right next to you. Jesus Christ will not leave you for a moment. He is unafraid of that which scares you most. He sees every step of the journey, even when you cannot. Trust Him to guide you through the maze. He will give you “a-maze-ing” grace and lead you out of the darkness.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”- John 1:4,5
Father, when the darkness settles in around me, I ask you to remind me of Your closeness. Jesus, You are the Truth, the Light, the Way. Shine Your truth clearly and unmistakably when I am unsure of the way. Strengthen my trust when the unknown feels overwhelming. Remind me that You are able to free me from any danger or bind the fiercest enemy that comes against me. Your purpose will prevail. In the strong Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.