‘About the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea… And when they saw Him…they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out…But immediately He…said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased’ (v.48-51 NKJV).

These verses show us that darkness isn't always a weapon of evil that can mean harm. Sometimes it’s one of God’s best teaching tools. We get to know Him best by going through storms with Him; by reaching the place where we think, ‘If God doesn’t come through for me, I've had it.’ Then He comes, ‘walking on the sea’. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight’ (Matthew 10:27 NIV). It’s in our darkest moments that God gives us some of the greatest insights into Himself and ourselves.

The psalmist said, ‘To you the night shines as bright as day’ (Psalm 139:12 NLT). So instead of running from our problems, let's ask God to develop our night vision and show us ‘treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places’ (Isaiah 45:3 NRSV). And here's one final thing to think about: When we're walking through a time of darkness, we must rely on God’s light and not try to create our own. ‘If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light…you will soon fall down in great torment’ (Isaiah 50:10-11 NLT). Relying on our own abilities and judgement can keep us in the dark longer than we need to be. But trusting completely in God's means we don’t have to be afraid; He's promised to bring us through.

What Now?

Do you know someone who’s ‘walking in darkness’ at the moment? Give them some gentle encouragement by sharing some of the Bible verses in today’s reading, and any other verses or worship songs that you find bring light in difficult and dark times.