When Light Blinds

Psalm 91:9 says You have the Lord for your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold.

There are times in our lives when the hand of the Most High is obvious, when we feel protected, blessed, cared for, nurtured. During these times we sense we are being carried by the spirit through fire and water, and no danger can touch our souls.

But there are also times when all this fades, when the hand of the Most High seems heavy, and we flounder through life questioning and requesting, but receiving no answer.

It is good to remember that when we feel blessed, that is God's time. When we feel lost, that is our time. The time to walk in the dark, knowing we are no less blessed because the sun isn't shining upon us. The time to believe in goodness even though we no longer have the tangible proof of it. The time to choose not because we love the return we've received, but simple because it is the right thing to do.

In times past, such journeys were called "dark nights" simply because we no longer enjoyed the light of a vibrant realization of God. But these times can sometimes bring greater clarity than the light, for it makes us choose not from emotion, but from conviction. When life is dark, and the way not clear, then we often show our strength and courage. Should that darkness last a time, we will find that we can live in darkness, because our convictions become strong enough to take the place of light. And then we  ourselves become the light, for others seeking, for those lost, for unbelievers who need to see in order to have faith.

Remember, there are others reasons for darkness than absence of light. It could be your light has become so bright that it blinds you.