Out of Darkness

I have been studying the life of David and it has been a journey. David was out minding his sheep and minding his own business when Samuel the prophet came and anointed him King. Things went pretty much as usual until King Saul called him to play music for him to calm his frazzled nerves. From then on his life took a drastic turn. King Saul eventually turned against David because he was jealous of him and set out to kill him. For fifteen years David was on the run, he came across one challenge after another and I am sure he sometimes lifted his hands to God and said “Hey what is going on here?” I thought when I became “God’s chosen” I would live on easy street. In fact, we can find many of his writings that tells us of his dismay, his faintness of heart and the darkness he felt.


In Psalm 143:1 He said; O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.


Psalm 143:3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me, my heart within me is dismayed.


I know that most of us have been there where David was as darkness over came him and there was no hope.


I am reminded of a time in our lives that hope seemed to be gone. A few words from a doctor had made our world spiral out of control. My sweet husband was told that he was going to go blind from an eye condition. At that time, he was given no hope, he was told to go home and get ready for the inevitable. My strong husband, who lead our home and family with strength felt crushed to the ground with no hope. The mere thought of this impending physical darkness brought about a darkness in his soul. I had never seen him so broken.


During this time he searched the scripture for something that would make sense of that whole thing and give him hope. He came across a scripture that seemed to lift him from the pit of hopelessness. It is a scripture that has brought hope to many.


Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


To this day, the Lord has kept his hand on Larry and has preserved his eye sight. One of the fears he had is that he would not be able to make a living for his family but he worked for 43 years at his job and was able to provide for his family and is in his 5th year of retirement.


As David, many times our spirits are crushed and there is darkness all around we lose hope. David found his hope in God, in Psalm 144 he says, the Lord is my Rock, he is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge.
You are God’s chosen even if your world seems dark right now. Take heart! David eventually took his place as king and the bible says he danced and praised the Lord as he entered the City named after himself. He could finally say “I will sing a new song to you, O God on the ten-stringed lyre, I will make music to you, to the One who gives victory!
Praise the Lord!