Darkness

“The valley of the shadow of death holds no darkness for the child of God. There must be light, else there could be no shadow. Jesus is the light. He has overcome death.” ~ Dwight L. Moody (American evangelist and publisher)

This Is No Time to Panic

I remember the moment we backed out of our driveway in my buddy Jay’s pickup. The bed of the truck was loaded with around 20 suitcases, boxes, and carry-ons. We had sold or given away everything that we owned (other than our keepsakes which went into storage). Jay was taking us to the airport where we and our two kids (Clarke & Aly…6 and 4 at the time) were to get on an airplane for a one-way trip to Turkey. I remember thinking in that moment, “what have we done?” As excited as we had been in the previous few months as we prepared to go, in that moment, I was scared. The world felt like it was closing in on me and I was not sure God was with us.

Like many of you, I’ve walked through a lot of valleys and scary moments. I’ve questioned my resolve and doubted God’s presence and goodness. It’s in those moments, in the “dark or difficult seasons” in my life that I sometimes find myself referencing “being in the valley.” That’s a fascinating perspective when we actually think about it.

We typically use the term “valley” to describe all the ugly places in our lives. We tend to associate it with darkness, pain, and suffering.

Maybe it’s because of the familiar passage from David in Psalm 23:4:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

When taken at face value and out of context, this passage can certainly seem dark and scary. It can make a valley seem like a fearful place where death and evil lurk behind every bush, boulder, and stone.

In reality, valleys are beautiful places. Those of you who have been in an actual valley (not a metaphorical one), know what I’m talking about. They tend to be rich in vegetation with trees, rivers, and wildlife. They are not always dark, and when they are, much of the time it’s because of the shadows. Is darkness really the defining point in our understanding of what is difficult or painful? Because, darkness only exists where the light is not present. If God is with us, then His light is with us as well.

In Psalm 23 David uses the Hebrew word “yalak” for walk, but it can also mean to be led or carried. That puts a slightly different perspective on it. Being led or carried through the valley adds another dimension to the statement “He is with us.” He’s actually leading and carrying us when we are too shattered to walk. He leads us and carries us through the valley; the valley of the shadow of death. Consequently, His light shatters the darkness.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 ESV

This is also worth saying: God would never lead us or carry us into something evil. It’s only when we separate from Him that we become lost in the shadows, where we would otherwise have been guided and directed through them.

Here’s something else worth seeing: They are only shadows. A shadow is not substantial or permanent; it’s momentary, so it doesn’t last forever. A shadow can only exist in the presence of light. So where there are shadows, there is a sun (Son). Those places in your life that seem the darkest right now are only shadows, and they are shadows that are cast because of the presence of His light.

I remember when I was sixteen years old, I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor someone can receive from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). However, there is an “order” only Eagle Scouts can be a part of. I wanted to be part of it, so I applied. The “test” or “initiation” was spending one night out in the wilderness alone with nothing but a sleeping bag, a canteen of water, two matches, an egg, and a flashlight (I never figured out what I was supposed to do with the egg).

They took me out a few miles in the middle of the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas in the middle of the afternoon and left me. I had to survive until they came to get me the next morning. Everything was fine until the sun dropped below the backdrop of the surrounding mountains around four o’clock.

From that moment, every sound, the crack of every twig, and the rustle of every leaf would catch my breath and cause me to listen intently for anything dangerous. Mountain lions, Bobcats, snakes, scorpions…the area was known for all of them. I was on high alert all through the night. I had thoughts and visions of a mountain lion grabbing me in my sleep or waking up to a rattlesnake in my bed. Consequently, I might have slept an hour. I was never more excited than when the sun began to peek over the mountains to the East. The sun was up, the darkness gone, and I had made it. I survived!

When we are in those places, our minds play tricks on us. Are there dangers? Most definitely. Life is full of them, no matter where you’re located. But the valleys are no different from the mountain tops. When it’s dark, they can both be scary places because our vision is limited. We can’t see things well or accurately.

It’s in those moments of darkness when we begin to see or hear things that aren’t there. The perceived isolation brings feelings of fear and paranoia, and our minds tell us things that aren’t true. We panic. We run. Then, we get lost.

When we walk through disappointment and grief, it sure feels like a dark, damp valley. The world feels like it is closing in on us and we can’t breathe. We feel isolated, alone. That’s probably similar to what a seed feels like when it’s planted in the ground.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24 ESV)

Everyone wants the “mountain top experience” where you’re above the clouds in the sun and you can see for miles. It’s certainly a great place to be for a moment of clarity and fresh air. The problem is that on the mountain the air is thinner, and it is difficult for things to grow.

Things grow in the valleys.

Yes, for something to grow, something has to die. That’s the painful part. That’s why it’s a valley of death. However, it’s also a valley of life. In the valley, death and life coexist in order to create something amazing and beautiful. That’s why the valleys are full of trees, fruit, wildlife, and rivers. So, through the death of a single seed (which may bring disappointment and loss), a beautiful forest will grow. The death of one seed produces thousands! That’s life in the valley of death!

That’s why James says to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3 ESV)

Our trials in the valley produce fruit in our lives.

There is a dying that must take place in our lives for our Heavenly Father to bring life out of the darkness. We have to let those things die. We have to walk through the pain, through the valley. Remember, things grow in the valley, so we need to learn to thrive as we walk through them. It’s actually a beautiful place to be when we know and understand our creator is with us and is for us, and that He has created the valley as a place for us to grow and learn.

Remember, it was in the valley, the garden, that the Father walked with His creation in the cool of the day! It was, and is, a place of discovery and revelation; a place of fellowship and intimacy.

“Our faith is built in the dark, in the valleys, and during the back-breaking battles in life.” ~ Dana Arcuri (Author, speaker, and certified trauma recovery coach)

Peace!

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