Lighten Up

For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29

Darkness isn’t dark to God, for even darkness is bright as day to him. In fact, he dwells in unapproachable light which seems like darkness to the dull eyes of man. His dazzling glory cloaks itself. It blinds wicked men and wraps them about in darkness of night. But he is quite the opposite to believers, and David knew it.

Notice how personal the King of Israel, how sensible and experiential his theology: my darkness. To David, God was not indiscriminate light; he was particular light to brighten the darkness about his own two feet. God was safety to David’s danger (v 28), power to David’s weakness (v 30), and protection to David’s vulnerability (v 31). He set the light of God upon whatever darkness engulfed him.

Whatever our darkness is—ignorance, doubt, suffering, sorrow, temptation, yes, even sin and guilt—God alone can light up the night. He is the Father to the fatherless, the Friend to the broken, the Savior to the lost, and the Light to those who dwell in darkness. Whatever shadow I face today, the Lord God shall be my light. How about you?