There is no shortage of darkness in this world. Every day we are inundated with countless stories of devastation and violence that are happening worldwide. And yet it seems like we don’t appreciate the burden of that darkness until it makes an appearance in our own home.
Those who have walked through dark seasons know the anguish of trying to endure each day when you can’t see a way out of whatever circumstance is weighing you down. We grieve the loss of control we thought we had and then try to escape by numbing away the pain through various distractions and substances. And yet most people find that these temporary fixes only create more damage and never confront the darkness overtaking them.
My own experiences with grief and mental health struggles have taught me that the only thing that can provide a glimmer of hope and true relief from my pain is the loving presence of God. So when I found myself in the middle of another dark season at the beginning of 2025, I knew exactly where I needed to go to find the Light I was in such desperate need of.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
On January 1st, I committed to reading the entire Bible in a year. This would be a feat for me because my easily distracted mind tends to lose track of any daily Bible reading plan a few weeks in. But this new attempt wasn’t just so I could gain more Bible knowledge. It was my daily reminder of why I had a reason to hope even though the circumstances of my life told me otherwise.
There’s no way for me to list all the things I have learned over the past year but I will say that through the routine of reading His Word every day, I have been able to find the lamp I needed to keep moving forward. Opening my Bible became an invitation for Him to draw closer and redirect my attention from the darkness surrounding me so that I could focus my gaze on Him instead. And within the warmth of His Presence, I am able to remember that the pain of suffering is nothing when you know what it is to love and be loved by the Creator of the Universe.
For those in need of a light, I am recommending you try this one. It’s a torch that has been passed down through generations of people who have also had to find paths through the darkness. They realized this book contains the answers on how to handle the trials and tribulations that are guaranteed to happen in life. The reason the Bible has endured for this long is because it is the source of truth that never fades. And it provides the kind of transformation that can only happen when you choose to sit in His Presence and let Him speak.
Each chapter of the Bible I read invited God to tell me exactly who He is. And I have found that He is a God who sees every tear and knows more than anyone else the depths of our despair. It was out of His deep compassionate love for each of us that He created the Bible so we could know that we never have to walk through those dark seasons alone. He provided us with a lamp to lead us through the darkness but we are the ones who have to decide to strike the match by opening our Bibles. And after 365 days and 66 books later, I can promise you that it is worth the effort to know the Light that illuminates even the darkest situations.
