Lesson One • Darkness
Devotion #2: “Golf-1. All secure.”
Joe Wilson
Have you ever found yourself in darkness? I am talking about the truest kind of darkness, the darkness where you cannot even see your hand in front of you. You can feel its presence, but you cannot see it.
Your senses are at such a heightened state, you can hear and feel each and every breath you take, each and every beat of your heart. Reading this, you may feel your pulse begin to speed up as you contemplate the fear of being in a darkness that is unlike anything you have felt before. Just to add another aspect, there is no light switch. The darkness is outside of your control.
As I write this, the one situation that stands out clearest in my mind is that of my first duty station after joining the military. Being of a lower rank at that time, I drew the short stick of walking a fence line during the midnight shift. This fence line was not any normal fence line where you could see people, places, or things. All you could see was a small glimmer of a red lens flashlight off a chain link fence. There was so much that was unknown and so much to be fearful of. I often was just waiting on the sun to rise. I looked forward to hearing that voice on the radio calling my call sign, “Golf-1. Status?” It was code for reassuring them I was okay and reassuring myself I was okay.
Luke 23:44-49 records, “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’ And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.”
As Jesus Christ hung on the cross, He was paying the ultimate sacrifice for my sin, for your sin, and the entire world’s sin. From noon to 3:00 pm it was dark (“while the sun’s light failed”). It was darkness, unlike anything they had experienced before. Were they waiting for the sun to rise to erase and explain the unknown? Maybe. Not knowing any better they just accepted the darkness they found themselves in.
I am so thankful that the Son rose in my life. He reassured me by providing the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide me. He did gave the true hope of an eternal relationship with God.
Thank you, Lord. “Golf -1. All secure in You!”