Reflecting God’s Glory in a Season of Darkness
May 11, 2024 — Carol Brown
Child loss is a time of great darkness in our lives. We can feel as if we’re stumbling, free falling into a bottomless pit of pain, sorrow, and despair. It is in darkness that anger, bitterness, and doubt can take hold and possibly become hardened into ways of thinking and living that lead us away from the light of the truth of God’s Word.
In the Old Testament, God’s glory manifests itself as fire (2 Chronicles 7:1), and a cloud (Exodus 24, 33, 40), and is displayed in creation (Psalm 19:1, Psalm 148:4-6). His glory is often connected with His attributes of holiness (Exodus 15:11, Psalm 93:5) and righteousness (Psalm 7:17) and can be understood through His mighty deeds (Deuteronomy 3:24, Deuteronomy 4:34).
In the New Testament, we see the glory of God in terms of light and life, expressed through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus declares “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In the first chapter of John, we learn that Jesus was the “light of life” and the light of all people. The darkness is incapable of overcoming the light. John also records Jesus’ admonition to his followers to walk in the light to avoid stumbling in the darkness. (John 11:9, 12:35) In his own letter, John urges believers to “walk in the light as He (Jesus) is in the light. (1John 1:7)
In this season of darkness, how can we walk in the light, reflecting God’s glory in our lives? I believe we can accomplish this by acknowledging every glimpse of His loving, intimate provision with a grateful heart, and holding on to the truth and reality of His promises, steadfastly refusing any thought that He has acted or will act in ways that are contrary to His perfect nature. Every time we speak truth to ourselves and others, our testimony becomes the light that illumines the way for us and other struggling souls on this darkest of journeys.
I often refer to child loss as a journey because we are walking towards a final destination. In the book of Revelation, John describes the New Jerusalem in part with these words:
“ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.” (Revelation 21:23-25)
There will be a day when, with new bodies and new minds, we will behold God’s glory in all of its splendor, majesty, and fullness. Until then, we can allow it to shine through the cracks of our broken hearts, reflecting the hope we have in the Light of the World.
