I Am Not Afraid Of The Dark

"In the darkest times of your life, your praise to God should be the loudest. Let the enemy know you are not afraid of the dark."
                                                        Toby Mac




Christmastime is known for being both a season of hope and a season of light. It is celebratory as God's children come together and remember the time that Jesus was born in this earth and took on flesh so that we could all be saved. Everything associated with Christmas, for believers, is beautiful and joyous and the time to reflect on the fact that God remembered us and gave us His plan of salvation and to then, in turn, remember those around us who may be less fortunate or do not yet know Jesus. When we reflect on Christmas, we think of God's goodness and gift to us all.

For some, however, the holidays can be sad or even distressing. This year, some will have to face Christmas for the first time without a loved one. For others, distance may obstruct getting together with family or loved ones. There are those that remember difficult Christmases in the past. And then there are those who are facing substantial challenges today that seem to rob them of hope or obscure the beauty of the season.

These facts caused me to reflect on the state of the world right before Jesus actually was born. Centuries before Jesus was born, Isaiah looked at the world around him and wrote that the Messiah would come as a Light to a "people who have walked in darkness... and have dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death" (Isaiah 9:2). He went on to say that the Israelites carried a burden and the weight of the rod of their oppressor. Some of the words Isaiah used to describe this time were abuse, curses, anguish, gloom, and contempt.

We can never fully appreciate the importance of Jesus coming as a bright Light unless we first understand the darkness of the world that Jesus shattered. The timing of His birth was perfect and the stage was set so that His radiance would be reflected all the more. In fact, by all appearances, it would have seemed that evil had won and that the hope of a true Messiah faded by the second.

The Bible tells us that there had been a 400 year famine from any words from God. The Lord went radio silent. This meant that spiritual darkness prevailed and that the people were desperate to hear from God. They were in mourning, so to speak, because they felt that God had left them.

Not only did they feel alone, but they also were enduring very difficult circumstances under the oppressive Roman rule. Roman guards marched through the streets just waiting on someone to arrest or brutalize. While they lived in their own city of Jerusalem, it was as if they were exiles in their own homes. They were owned by Caeser Augustus and their temple was built and owned by their enemy- Herod the Great. Political darkness reigned during this time.

The nation of Israel was divided. There were four groups in Israel that wanted to lead the people and tensions resulted and riots ensued. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots all sought to lead the Jewish people and because of this, there was darkness that spread throughout the religion of Judaism.

Financial hardship plagued Mary and Joseph and there wasn't even a place for them in the inn. An increase in taxes was being excised and a census was being taken to call them all into account. They were beholden to their debtors and their debtors had no mercy. There was a financial darkness that prevailed.

There was darkness surrounding the fact that Mary was a virgin. No one believed that she conceived Jesus in an unconventional way and there was tension and stress for them that could have even resulted in the stoning of Mary. There was a darkness that was found in following God.

Their journey for the census was dark and difficult. Mary and Joseph had to travel over 100 miles on foot from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They traversed weather and hills and waters. They travelled both by day and by night. They had to consider snakes and scorpions and other unscrupulous travelers along the way. There was darkness in their journey.

Mary was very pregnant, which would have caused concerns for her and the baby’s health. There were no doctors or roadside clinics and I wonder how they felt if she experienced any cramps or pains along the way? How inept must Joseph have felt to solely care for his wifes' medical needs? There was a physical darkness that they experienced.

Jesus was born in the middle of the night and in the middle of a dark stable. God did not choose the daylight hours for Jesus to be born. After all, it was because the world was dark that we needed Jesus to come in the first place. It was the darkness that beckoned His call to earth. There was a natural darkness that Joseph and Mary experienced.

After Jesus was born, both Satan and Herod tried to kill Him. There were hostile, angry forces that tried to prevail against Him, but God's power was too great. Nonetheless, Joseph and Mary felt the weight of supernatural darkness that completely wanted to destroy them all. How distressing would it be for brand new teenage parents to have to protect their baby from those who wanted Him dead? This was the supernatural darkness that Mary and Joseph faced.

I am sure that fear reared its ugly head to this young couple on more than one occasion. I am sure that the enemy did everything within his power to try to make them discouraged and abandon the destiny for which God had created them. I am sure that, at times, Mary and Joseph did not recognize the Light that was always with them.  And, what Satan did then he will also attempt to do today. When we choose to praise God in the midst of our own darknesses and focus on the brilliance of His Light and hope, we can utter the scariest words that hell will ever hear, "I am not afraid of the dark."


"the people living in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the shadow of death a Light has dawned."
                                                                 Matthew 4:16