In the middle of one of my teammates giving the message at a local fellowship, the power went out. The fans stopped swirling the muggy evening air and the entire room was immersed in darkness. Without missing a beat, the assistant pastor handed my teammate his cell phone with the flashlight activated, and he continued reading a passage out of Isaiah. This moment is an exceptional exemplar of life in this city and in this country. Every day, there is no end of inconveniences or setbacks. Just when you think you’re getting into a groove and things are going well, within a second, everything changes and darkness surrounds you. There is an uncomfortable moment when you are unsure how to proceed. Then, a helpful hand will turn on a little light, and that light penetrates the darkness.
I am in a season of uncertainty, where it feels as though every direction I look, there is more darkness. Yet, I have my little flashlight, which illuminates just enough that I can see where I should step next, but no further. Never in my life have I understood Psalm 119:105 at such a deep level: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.” The Word of the Lord is my only light in the darkness, and you know what? That is good. Because the narrow beam of light always shows me where I should step next and exactly which path I should take, so I cling even more to the Light. In the Lord, there is joy and hope and peace. And that is enough.