Darkness

“As the sun was just about to set,

a deep sleep

-a dreadful, deep darkness-

came over Abram.”

Genesis 15:12

Abram had just experienced an amazing time with God.  He had promised Abram some life-changing events that were in his future….glimpses of what He had planned for him.  God had sealed those promises with a private ceremony….just between Himself and Abram.   Then, midstream, Abram experiences “a dreadful, deep darkness.”

Have you ever had those bright, shining moments….only to be followed by the opposite extreme?   I know that sometimes I’ve felt like a ping-pong ball….being batted back and forth between two opposing circumstances.  The “shining moment” becomes a “dark cloud” that has come out of no-where.

Sometimes, the “LIGHT” of God surrounds us in moments that are almost blinding.  Then the “shadow” hits.  The contrast is so confusing!  Frustrating!

What if . . . God’s Hand is creating the shadow.  What happens in the shadow?  On this earth, when the sun hits us full-force, it becomes too much to bear.  We look for shade.  We head toward a shelter that will give us some relief from the blazing light and heat of the powerful sun.  God describes Himself as Light, and speaks of the “shadow of His Wings.”

When God’s own Hand casts a shadow on our lives, there is always a purpose.  It is not cruelty, or just  playing with our minds and hearts.  That is not Who He is.

When I am in the desert, the sun can be absolutely unbearable.  Finding a shadow is crucial, and remaining in that shadow is the best place to be.  With the blazing heat of the sun so near, I need . . . want to remain in the shadow.  Further physical activity must pause.  Time, slowly ticking moment by moment,  becomes the perfect setting to think….to listen.   

Abram was learning this. He was learning how to listen to God.  God continued to speak to Abram even tho’ he was in a darkness that God had allowed.  His Promises continued.  His plans continued to unfold, but in a way that He had Abram’s full attention.

When the Shadow comes, don’t run… don’t scramble to create your own light.  Be still. Wait.   Listen.   God is in the Shadow with you.                                   [read all of Genesis 15]