Darkness is important for your health, and your faith (2024)
God did not abolish darkness at creation. God added light. But for many, darkness symbolizes all that is negative, harmful, evil and fearful. God gave equal importance and prominence to darkness and light, and all life, including human life, begins and develops in the dark.
Scientists have referenced the importance of darkness in the circadian rhythm — the sleep wake cycle — and they advise that we sleep in the dark. If this dark/sleep cycle is disrupted, our health can be affected. A disrupted circadian rhythm can increase the chances of cardiovascularevents, obesity and neurological problems.
We need darkness to make our immune systems work. Also, in the dark, our bodies produce the hormone called melatonin, which helps fights diseases, such as breast and prostate cancer.
In the scientific world, we can appreciate the value of darkness, but what of the spiritual world? In the experience of religion and the church, darkness, the opposite of light, has come to mean all that separates us from God, because God is light. Light is the symbol of salvation, spiritual growth and discernment. But it can only be understood and appreciated when we contrast and compare it to the darkness.
Darkness is not a barrier to God. Psalm 139:12 describes God’s response to darkness: “Indeed,the darknessshall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the lightareboth aliketo You.”
We enter darkness to pray as we close our eyes to focus and avoid distractions. This then could be one purpose of spiritual darkness. It is a pulling away from the visions and distractions in the light and focusing the mind and heart on God. Here is where we begin to grow — in the dark.
We go through the darkness of sinfulness and learn that Christ the Light is our Redeemer. We travel through the darkness of doubt and learn that the Holy Spirit is the source of truth and faith. We struggle through the darkness of crisis and problems to learn that Christ is our protector and deliverer. We face the darkness of death and learn that God grants eternal life. We may weep in the dark … but joy comes in the morning. We go through the darkness of sin, testing and temptation … but Jesus Christ brings us to the Light of Salvation.
The Rev. Victor “Ken” Cadette an ordained minister affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey. He has been in ministry 40 years. Contact him atkencade@aol.com.
Darkness is not a barrier to God. Psalm 139:12 describes God's response to darkness: “Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” We enter darkness to pray as we close our eyes to focus and avoid distractions.
Darkness is vital to humans, animals and plants. It maintains the natural circadian rhythm, so you know when it is night and when it is day. Most animals are much more sensitive than humans and can even sense light that is indistinguishable to the human eye.
A key verse to determine the power of darkness is John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This is the best news: we need not fear the darkness. Darkness will never eclipse light, nor will the dark devil overcome the Light of the world—Jesus Christ.
God allows darkness to bring about His own sovereign purposes. God allows darkness to help us help others. God allows darkness to protect us from our own selfish ambitions.
We're being blinded, not by God's absence, but by a blinding light to the unshielded eye. The darkness of faith is the darkness of excessive light. A final analogy: Deep intimacy is iconoclastic.
In truth, darkness creates the spiritual soil to allow us to grow. How we choose to use it determines whether or not we become better human beings. Spiritual sojourners will tell you that when we embrace and allow ourselves to feel the darkness inside us, our trust in our creator and faith will grow.
The power of darkness is skilled at concealment – we should life open lives. The power of darkness afflicts and depresses man – we should have God's joy. The power of darkness can fascinate us – we should be fascinated with the things of God. The power of darkness is a cover for evil – we should live in the light.
Metaphoric Representation of Sin and Evil: Primarily, darkness in the Bible symbolizes sin, evil, and death. It is used to depict moral corruption, ungodliness, and the absence of God's light.
Three different types of darkness are outlined in the EXPLORE text: the darkness of shame and isolation, the darkness of enemy oppression and the darkness of hopelessness.
According to Peter, God has “called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” It is this marvelous light that we see in the face of Jesus Christ. Not only does he call us to be lights in a dark and troubled world. He calls himself the “light of the world.” He is a living light that shines over us and ahead of us.
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening, and there was morning the first day. " "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
Yet the Bible says that God commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Remember, the earth was a chaotic mass that was enveloped in complete darkness (Genesis 1:2). But at His command, God brought order to the maddening chaos and light leaped out of the looming darkness.
Makes a great gift! The dark is good for our sleep, our biology, and the health of our ecosystems. It's good for our creativity and our spirits, and, yes, it's even good for our safety and security.
"Darkness" in both the Old Testament (Heb. hasak [J;v'j]) and New Testament (Gk. skotos [skovto"]) is an evocative word. If light symbolizes God, darkness connotes everything that is anti-God: the wicked ( Prov 2:13-14 ; 1 Thess 5:4-7 ), judgment ( Exod 10:21 ; Matt 25:30 ), and death ( Psalm 88:12 ).
Isaiah 50:10 is encouraging because it is a clear reminder that God sees His servant who is walking in darkness with no light. No matter how dark our valley, He is never unaware of our plight.
The dark is good for our sleep, our biology, and the health of our ecosystems. It's good for our creativity and our spirits, and, yes, it's even good for our safety and security.
Darkness can encompass a primitive chaos, and the powers of that chaos; it is not essentially evil, yet it is largely associated with death and destruction, captivity and spiritual darkness. The gloom which preceded the Fiat Lux traditionally represents the states that give rise to chaos.
A dark area has limited light sources, making things hard to see. Exposure to alternating light and darkness (night and day) has caused several evolutionary adaptations to darkness. When a vertebrate, like a human, enters a dark area, its pupils dilate, allowing more light to enter the eye and improving night vision.
Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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