Recently on Aslan's Country, we've started a weekly devotional posted every Monday morning to kickstart the week. This week I had the privilege of writing the devotional, so I thought I'd post it here. You can read the actual devotional here, and previous devotionals here. Enjoy!
Last week, AslansLily wrote about witnessing to those lost in the dark, like Lord Rhoop, lost in the darkness of his own desires. But so often, we ourselves run into the darkness - a different kind of darkness. We lose our way, we stumble, we forget about Christ. Whether it be the issues with friends, family, problems at work or school, our faith, at church - we all know the pain and desperation of darkness.
But it is during these times, I have found, when all you see is darkness around you, that God is nearest to you.
"We shall never get out, never get out," moaned the rowers. "he's steering us wrong. We're going round and round in circles. We shall never get out."
And soon everyone was hearing things. Each one heard something different.
It's dangerous to allow these feelings to take hold of us -they begin to control our lives and it changes how we interact and see other people, and unless we give our fears to Christ, they can cause us to fall away from Him.
Think about how amazing it would be if we could always be anxious for nothing! But Philippians says we can. And how? By prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.
"Lucy leant her head on the edge of the fighting-top and whispered, "Aslan, Aslan, if ever you loved us at all, send us help now." The darkness did not grow any less, but she began to feel a little - a very, very little - better. "After all, nothing has really happened to us yet," she thought.
Philippians 4:6 continues into verse 7 to say that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Prayer is an amazing thing that not only can accomplish many things but also, as Lucy experiences, changes our outlook on the situation as we give our situation to Him in faith.Lewis notes that the darkness did not grow any less, but Lucy not only felt peace, but was also able to realize the positive side to their situation. Sometimes He calms the storm - other times, He calms His child.
Often times, however, we are afraid to allow God to work in our lives in this way. We're afraid of pain, of losing people we love. But in James 1, we are exhorted to count it all joy when we encounter these trials. To embrace a trial, something painful and dark, is the last thing we would imagine to do - but yet it is the attitude Lucy has as they enter Dark Island.[Caspian:] "I suppose we shall have to go on. Unless Lucy would rather not?"
Lucy felt that she would very much rather not, but what she said out loud was, "I'm game."
One of the most beautiful things God has taught me is what He will do when we are willing to "sail into the dark." So often I have given in to the emotions of the present moment, forgetting about God, forgetting that He has orchestrated this for the reason of drawing me nearer to Himself!
When we truly find joy in the midst of pain - the joy that can only come from Christ, we realize that nothing else matters but that Christ is magnified in us - whether in the light or in the dark.
Habukkuk 3 says though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.I find it interesting that in the NKJV, "joy" is used as a verb. "I will joy in the God of my salvation."
It's what I like to call "joyful serenity made perfect with pain and sweetened with God's grace, blessings, and love."It's the joy you find in the midst of the pain.
The peace you find to accept what you have lost.
The grace God gives you to give up what you know you cannot keep.
The blessings He lavishes upon you to show you His everlasting, eternal, all-encompassing love.
And then, what a glorious morning it is, when light begins to pierce the darkness! When suddenly - you can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
There was a tiny speck of light ahead, and while they watched a broad beam of light fell from it upon the ship. It did not alter the surrounding darkness, but the whole ship was lit up as if by a searchlight.Note that the storm had not yet ended. It did not alter the surrounding darkness - but now they had a light to show them the way.
But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, "Courage, dear heart," and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan's.And then, following the sweet voice of the albatross, before they knew it - they had broken out of the darkness and into the light.
And just as there are moments when simply to lie in bed and see the daylight pouring through your window...and to realise that it was only a dream: it wasn't real, is so heavenly that it was very nearly worth having the nightmare in order to have the joy of waking.
Read that again.In order to have the joy of waking.
It's the darkness that makes the light beautiful. It's the pain that makes the healing wonderful.The deep, meaningful joy is one that you cannot experience fully unless endured the pain beforehand.
Weeping may endure for a night - but joy comes in the morning. (Ps. 30:5)And when the morning comes, we come through a different person. Renewed, strengthened, and in awe of God's grace and power.
...they had half expected to find that the darkness would cling to the white and the green and the gold in the form of some grime or scum...[but] the brightness of the ship herself astonished them...We come through more like Christ, bearing more fruit for His glory. And this, dear friends, is our goal, is it not? To continually be more like Christ - no matter what it takes. He is our strength, our life, our everything - and the continual source of all joy.
