We give too much credit to the darkness.

Of course, some days are dark. We face unexpected disappointments. We struggle with job stress and taking care of our family. We turn on the news and see nothing but negativity and violence. But the darkness, while certainly worthy of our respect, shouldn’t be given permission to overcome our hearts and minds.

Isaiah spoke to a people who were facing darkness: exiled from their homeland and from God’s presence and protection. But while Isaiah respected the darkness, he didn’t consider it more powerful than the God of all light and love. No matter how dark things got in Isaiah’s day, he knew the light of God would restore the hearts of the broken.

How much credit do you give to the darkness?

Don’t ignore it. Be aware of it, as you would an aggressive dog behind a backyard fence, but don’t let the darkness bind you with unnecessary fear.

In God’s first words over creation, we can learn our response: “Let there be light.”

No matter how dark your world gets, the light of God will shine on you if you let it, and all sorrow and sighing shall flee away.