“The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”- Exodus 20:21
In Chapter 9 (“Wandering in the Wilderness: God Is Still There”) of Wounded by God’s People, Anne Graham Lotz recalls a time in her life so spiritually dry and barren that oppression and darkness crushed her spirit. Even the physical act of breathing was difficult. At that low point she mistakenly” opened her Bible to Exodus 20:21 and found the answer- embrace the darkness.
When Abraham sent Hagar on her way for the final time, she found herself in a physical as well as spiritual wilderness. Anne observes that Hagar, in desperate need of help, knew she couldn’t go back. Yet, she had no idea how to go forward. So Hagar wandered. Anne cautions that aloneness can cause our spirits to wander:
“We want to get away from the darkness, to get out of the wilderness, but in our frantic effort we stumble from remorse to resentment, from self-pity to self-flagellation, from brokenness to bitterness, from frustration to anger, from hurt to hardness, from hardness to helplessness.”
The author believes that Hagar must have felt totally helpless because, from a human point of view, she was totally helpless. As we embrace the darkness, opening our hearts and minds, we too will see that God’s glory is in His character and faithfulness to us.
Today’s question: As you look back on your life and some of your more recent experiences, what evidences of God’s glory stand out most prominently? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Cry out to Jesus”