Focus: In the Dark Place

Text: Jh.13:7

"What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter."

God is too big a word, and the person of God, too big for our heads. Simply put, God is infinite mystery and infinite energy. The complexity of God is beyond simplifying. God as a manageable deity is indeed a dangerous illusion. In knowing and relating with God we become constantly aware of our immense ignorance and the presence of infinite mystery.

It is on record that "Moses drew near unto the THICK DARKNESS where God was" (Ex.20:21). Moses found himself covered in darkness right in the very presence of God. "God is light," the Bible says, but right in His presence all Moses could see was deep and huge darkness. Yes, God is light, but sometimes He surrounds Himself with darkness. There is no iota of darkness IN God, but plenty of it AROUND Him.

You know, there is great treasure in the darkness. Isaiah talked about the treasure of darkness and hidden riches in secret places (Isa.45:3). Indeed, the transaction of our redemption was done in darkness. It was in the moment of darkness, which lasted for 3 hours, that Christ atoned for our sin. He became our atonement for sin, not in the glare of light, but in the darkness that happened suddenly at noon (Mk.15:33). The fourth word on the cross came from the darkness, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And that was the time of the atonement. Satan, at that instant, was totally unaware of what hit him. Not all darkness is bad. God has His own darkness - the darkness of infinite mystery.

Our text teaches us a great lesson. The cross as a divine action is a crisis the disciples would find very difficult to understand in the immediate, but after it is all said and done, they would be made to understand the whole puzzle.

The crucifixion would end in glorification. Much later, Paul says, 'I glory in the cross of Christ.' A thing of shame has become a symbol of glory.

Jesus is doing something now, but what it is, we do not know. We are constantly coming to this dark place in our walk with God, where He is doing something that we know nothing about. Things happen around you that you do not understand. You know that God is at work, but you can't figure out what exactly He is doing. You just can't see the forest for the trees. You are somewhat confused even when you know quite well that your God is not the author of confusion.

In the immediate, nothing God does is making sense to you. You are lost in the woods for trying to figure out hidden things. God's actions seem a puzzle most times, and we are constantly in the dark trying to piece them together.

But there is good news. The Lord Jesus assures us of ultimately understanding what He has done. We'll ultimately look back and understand. "Life is understood backwards," says Soren Kierkegaard, "but we can only live it forward." You don't know now, but you will surely know later.

I want you to know that whatever God is doing is always for our good, whether we understand it now or not. Be not alarmed for not being aware. God is for us; He never works against His own. In His Word we see light. Christ is there with you in the dark place. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter