When dark times come into our lives, it can be almost impossible to see through to the other side — to a time when things will inevitably get better. Equating the hardest parts of our lives to darkness seems very appropriate. Being caught in the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation can make anyone feel like giving up because we often can’t see a clear path out of it. When we fully understand what Christ can do in our lives, though, it isn’t hard to understand why He chooses to call himself “the light.”

While I would never say my life has been a bed of roses, I have had more than my share of good times. I’ve travelled the country, been in love and loved, enjoyed good health and gotten to do what I want to do for a living. When the dark times come, though, I tend to take them badly. I wander around in my own thoughts for days at a time, overanalyzing every aspect of the situation until I feel completely lost. It is as if I am in a dark room, reaching out with my hands, frantically feeling for a switch that might shed light on my situation.

The good news is that God is always the light that we need, waiting to illuminate the blackest regions of our lives.

In Isaiah 42:16 He says, “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” (NIV)

I have always known God is in control through scriptures like the one above. Ultimately, I know that He has the best intentions for my life. I am only human, though, and tend to look for a way out on my own first because I don’t follow Him as closely as I should during the good times of my life. It is for this reason that we should use each problem we encounter to draw us nearer to God and learn to walk with Him closely, even during the good times.

Jesus promises in John 8:12 that He is the light of the world. He says, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (NIV)

This promise is made by Jesus to those that follow Him. The problem is, during the best times in our lives we tend to stop following Him because we feel like we have everything under control. Then, when everything spins into chaos and darkness, it can take a while to remember where we put the “light.” 

When we choose to follow closely to God even when we don’t see all the reasons why we need Him, we won’t be blinded when the darkness comes. This statement doesn’t mean it will be easy, but it does mean that we can see our way through thanks to the guidance that following Him will bring.

We all have our own issues that we struggle with. You may not have to battle in the same area of life as your neighbor but I can guarantee that the battles will eventually come. During these battles, we can either allow ourselves to be knocked into darkness and become lost, or choose to keep following the light.