March 12

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains, — Ps 107:10 BSB

What a blessed thing is light—the light of life, the light of God’s countenance, the light of the glorious gospel, the light of Jesus’ face! “Truly, the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.” But who appreciates this light? It is those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. How eagerly they welcome the first rays of light! Imagine being shipwrecked, cast by night upon a desert rock—how you would rejoice at the first beams of morning light, showing you where you are and giving hope of escape. In the same way, when a soul feels its danger, intensified by the darkness, it eagerly welcomes the first glimmer of light, showing the way of escape from hell to heaven. How sweet it is for such a soul to have any divine light shine upon the mind, any revelation of the goodness, mercy, grace, and glory of the blessed Jesus.

The more we sit in darkness, the more we cherish the light. Many who boast of their faith despise this kind of experience, dismissing it as emotionalism or making too much of personal feelings. Poor souls! Their light may not even be worth having; their religion is likely a fire of their own making, the light of which will never guide them to heaven. Why do they despise this light? Because they have never sat in darkness or the shadow of death. So, what is their light? A fleeting, unreliable glimmer—a will-o’-the-wisp, a gas-lamp, a meteor, or a falling star. It is anything but the dayspring from on high or the Sun of Righteousness. But the Lord’s people cannot be content with such flickering lights. They must have Jesus. They need His blood on their consciences, His grace in their hearts, His presence in their souls. They long for sweet revelations of His Person and work, the whispers of His love, the touch of His hand, the smiles of His face. They need Jesus for themselves. “Give me Christ, or else I die,” is their heartfelt cry.

What drives these earnest sighs and prayers? It is because they sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. If they didn’t feel this, they would be content to remain as they naturally are—dark and dead. But feeling their desperate condition makes them long for the beams of light; and when that light breaks in upon their souls, they bless it because it comes from God and leads them to Him.