A darkness to be felt

One time, for fun, I went to one of those spa places that have, for lack of a better term, ‘deprivation chambers.’ It was interesting but once was enough for me. The chamber was filled with saltwater, so I was floating in this small container which was pitch black inside. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my eyes. It was almost surreal.

The bizarre sensation was when the darkness got to me, and I tried to find the door to crack it open. It took several minutes to locate. I felt disoriented. Those minutes seemed like an eternity. I felt panic creeping in. Once I found the door and propped it open a crack, I was able to relax.

What I was hoping for was a retreat from outside stimuli of any type. Since I suffer from Tinnitus, I’m never free from noise, and the chambers weren’t soundproof anyway. However, I still hoped that it would be some sort of spiritual experience, a time to turn inward without any external influence. I didn’t take into account how I would react to being in complete darkness for that long. It was unsettling.

When I read this passage from Exodus, I just kept going back to that feeling of being in total darkness and how hard it was. Can you imagine going about your daily life and then, in an instant, you can’t see anything? That went on for three days. Surely, a people who devoted their worship to a sun god must have felt, among other things, abandonment.

God’s people, though, had light. I see this as a symbolism of Heaven and Hell. In Heaven, we have eternal light. Think about how light makes us feel compared to the absence of it. God is light (see 1 John 1:5).

Hell is devoid of light, devoid of Jesus. Abandonment. Eternal.

Sometimes I feel like we’re living in a darkness that can be felt. With everything going on in the world, in this country…the divisiveness that pits husband against wife, brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor – we’re isolated, living in darkness, a darkness that Satan thrives in.

The difference is, we have a light within each one of us. Just as the Israelites spent those three days in the light, we should be living in the light. We should be praising God every day for the light, basking in His glory.

Unlike those three days in Egypt, we’re able to share our light with people living in darkness. Ask God for direction and opportunity to be His light to those around us. If you’re feeling the darkness, pray for a beacon to lead you out into the light and then share your light with everyone you meet.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
Exodus 10:21-23 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for an awakening. Pray that the Church all across the globe recognizes the signs our Father is showing us. (I believe) He’s trying to open our eyes to the urgency and fervor we should have in spreading the gospel. Pray that our hearts and minds will be guided by the Holy Spirit so that we are always about doing our Father’s business, especially during this crucial time. Please pray for revival.