Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalms 139:12
Over one hundred and sixty times we find the word darkness in the Bible, beginning at the beginning of time when darkness covered the face of the deep. Since that time darkness has represented night, but it also represents the deeds and even the kingdom of the evil one. So, as we go through the history of God and man, we find the theme being presented in many different scenarios but the analogy is always the same.
Everyone will face times of darkness in their life, not just physical night but also battles against the forces of darkness. Noah came along during a very dark time in the history of God’s created world — every thought of man’s heart was evil. The world was literally filled with darkness. Sometimes it seems as if we live in just such a world today but it is not quite that bad yet! Still, we find ourselves in the midst of darkness every way we turn.
Moses was called by the Lord to deliver the children of Israel during a dark time in their history. They were slaves in Egypt and seemed to have no way out, but with the Lord, He will make a way where there is no way!
Jesus came to a very dark time as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just before He was taken away to be crucified. It was such a dark time for our Lord that He sweat drops of blood. Indeed, as He later hung on the cross and died, a literal darkness covered the earth once again as in the beginning; this time for three hours.
How does all of this talk of darkness help you? Because, God was there before the darkness and in Him is light. Therefore, as long as you are in the presence of the Lord, He will cause His light to shine into your dark situation and, before you know it, things will look so bright you would think it is mid-day even though you are still in the midst of a dark situation. This entire Psalm tells of how completely the Lord is watching over you and is aware of everything in your life.
He begins with your time in your mother’s womb; the Lord had you covered. God saw you even you were unformed, and He knew every one of your days even before your days began! But, what about the dark times? He saw those too, and He knows all about it. Jesus, after all, was touched with the feeling of your infirmities. He was temped in every way you have ever been or will ever be tempted, yet He never sinned. Yes, there will be some darkness that has to be endured and conquered, but you are never left alone. The Lord is with you in the dark times just as He is when things are going great.
Knowing that your Heavenly Father was there before the darkness and is with you through the darkness allows you to “see in the dark”. You don’t need special night vision equipment for this, all you need is the presence of God with you. No matter how deep the darkness, no matter how long the night, the Lord is with you. The Lord knew about this moment before you were even formed, so bask in His light and the night will shine as the day!