“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, la’ma sabach-tha’ni?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” – Matthew 27:46
As a little kid, were you ever scared when Mom or Dad tucked you in bed, kissed you goodnight and turned off the light?
Suddenly you were all alone. The darkness closed in. No telling what (or who’s) under the bed, or in the closet, or ready to crawl through the window. Worst of all, you can’t see them because … it’s dark!
By now, the tables have probably turned. You’re the one walking out of your kids’ rooms, turning out the lights. They might scream. Or cry. Or worse. They feel scared … alone … abandoned in the darkness … just like you did, decades ago.
It’s so hard not to rush in and comfort them. Yet you don’t. They need to outgrow their fear of the dark. Time does so, eventually. It’s part of growing up.
Even as adults, though, we have times where we feel like the little kid in the dark again – scared, lonely, and thinking we just don’t matter. Except, we’re not worried about something under the bed. No, the source of our fear might be on a spreadsheet, or a bank statement, or a medical diagnosis.
In these moments of crisis, it’s easy to feel like everyone, including God, has abandoned us. Even Jesus, in his last moments on the cross, beseeched God not to forsake him. The feeling isn’t limited to mere mortals.
Plunged Into Darkness
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” – Psalms 22:1
If we trust in God, we believe that He does things for us, not to us. Every occurrence in life has a purpose. Events happen for a reason. We might not see the “why” right away. Eventually, we do … though it might take years.
Whether we sense it or not, God is always right outside the door. The question is: Why?
Are we not letting Him into our lives? Have we gotten cocky or overly self-assured? Have we convinced ourselves that everything’s under control, and we can handle any curveball thrown our way? In other words … have we strayed?
This is usually when the lights go out. Something happens. We find ourselves in a dark place. The feelings, and fear, that we haven’t felt in decades returns. Everyone is gone. We’re alone … and it’s really, really scary.
Let in the Light
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” – Psalms 9:10
We’ve all experienced these dark places … and sometimes we need to be there. Only then, when a crack in the door opens, do we see the light that was always with us. No matter how long we’ve lost sight, God’s light returns.
Maybe, upon seeing it, we realize how long we’ve been in the dark. Better late, than never. Coming out can be difficult. Our spiritual eyes have to adjust to the light, all over again. Yet we know it’s the right place to be.
We understand that God has always been with us. It’s a matter of whether we let Him in, or keep Him outside the door.
If we do the former, we see God everywhere. He’s always on our mind. We have purpose, and joy, and fulfilment.
If the latter? Well, God will just keep waiting … outside the door. We know how to open it. How long we choose to be in the dark, and stay scared, is up to us.
(If you’re ready to embrace Christ, He’s ready for you. Visit C Suite for Christ to join in Christ-centered fellowship with other professionals. Submit a prayer request for a pressing need in your life. Follow C Suite for Christ on LinkedIn and Facebook. Questions? Contact Paul M. Neuberger at (414) 313-8338 or pneuberger@csuiteforchrist.com.)
