Darkness seems to encroach and cover everything in its path. The whole world feels pretty bleak , unsafe, unstable and dark these days, with news reports of violent storms, bombs and hurricanes, earthquakes and the political ploys of men. There must be a way of seeing and yielding to the light in the midst of this devastation.
When life itself seems to hang by a thread, we can easily forget that we have an enemy set on wreaking havoc on our cities, shores and souls. There is so much more going on than meets the eye. Supernatural forces are at work everywhere.
God is more than a match for satan’s evil schemes (I won’t dignify him with a capitalisation here). Our Lord’s Light is impenetrable by the darkness around and the shadows found in mankind’s soul. God dwells in light unapproachable and unbearably bright for human eyes.
But He has revealed that light in and through His Son, Jesus Christ, the saving Light of the world. We can come close to Him, seek solace, find Hope, Joy and Peace within when a world’s feeble light gets dimmed.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~ John 1:1-5 (NIV)
And just like heavy, rain-laden clouds eventually have to give way to sweep of wind and glint of light breaking through, we, too, can sense a lifting of heaviness as we yield to the deep, inner sense of God’s continual presence with us. May we take comfort from that thought as we pray about the crises in the world, whether far away or closer to home.
Yield to the light
Sun breaks through dark clouds, pierces
the gloom with shards of light, playing
games, as it creates these subtle
shadows and shade
I watch the way it enters suddenly
into a room, seeking to penetrate
with a revealing reminder
of its presence
Darkness must always yield to the light
and make way for its brightness, shining
now into every crack and crevice, like
a beaming torch
There’s such affirmation of life
in the spreading, golden fingers spooling
out like loosened thread, tugging hard
on cheerless hearts
©joylenton
As we close, let’s allow the inimitable Leonard Cohen to share his own words on how the light gets in, with a video taken when he was performing in London in 2008. May you listen to his gentle whisper-singing and reflect on just how much light seeps into our days, more than we ever realise.
Poetry Joy 
Dear Joy,
What incredible beauty you have shared in the midst of days that feel so dark. This stanza, especially, is touching my heart today:
“There’s such affirmation of life
in the spreading, golden fingers spooling
out like loosened thread, tugging hard
on cheerless hearts”
Especially because of my years of sewing, the picture of those “spooling, golden fingers like loosened thread” became so vivid to me! Thank you for bringing comfort to my heart as I wait through darkened days here. There is always some light spooling through! Bless you my friend, as you seek to listen and to share those beautiful whispers that are given to you. xoxo
Thank you so much, Bettie, for your encouraging words! I was beginning to think I’d got the thoughts or the timing wrong, because so little interest seems to have been shown. Yes, the content is somewhat dark in tone but I hoped those threads of light mentioned would be apparent to all who read this. Light and life are our birthright in Christ. We experience so much darkness here that it makes us yearn for the Kingdom of God to come in its fullness. Meanwhile, we pray and we share and we trust God will bring something good out of it all in the end.
It warms my heart that you have found comfort and seen beauty in the “midst of days that feel so dark”, a point I was poorly trying to get across. Praise God for the light that gets in because there’s a crack in everything, including us. Our broken lives become vessels and vehicles for His grace to fill and pour out of! Bless you, oh seamstress friend, for observing and listening so shrewdly. It’s a lovely gift you have. xoxo
John 1:1 is one of my fave Bible verses. Jesus definitely was born into the world as the light in the midst of the darkness. Beautiful home. So good to see you here friend. I’ve missed reading your words.
It’s also one of my favourite verses, Tara! I love the way it describes Jesus as pre-existent with the Father and Holy Spirit, Lord and upholder of all creation and the visible incarnation of God’s light-filled radiance. It’s so good to see you here, my friend! I’ve been missing for quite a while, and unable to engage with FMF as well. Now I am thankful to feel well enough to start getting back into the swing of things again. Have a blessed day. 💜
“Darkness must always yield to the light
and make way for its brightness, shining
now into every crack and crevice, like
a beaming torch”
Joy, the whole poem is a beautiful reminder that darkness must always give way to light. And Jesus is the true Light of the world. Thanks so much for your blessed words.
Blessings to you with love and hugs! xo
Hello Gayl, how lovely to see you here! I have really missed connecting with my online friends. It’s a joy (and a relief, truth be told) to have words flowing again after my needful absence from the blogs. Sometimes when our minds and bodies shut down due to exhaustion, we get a fleeting fear that our writing days could be over. I am taking it as a sign to continue now that the Muse has returned from her lengthy vacation! Thank you so much for being here and for your generous encouragement. Both mean a lot to me. Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear friend! xo 💜
Thank you for that reminder, Joy. Also for the Cohen video. I do love that song.
My pleasure, Deborah, I love that Leonard Cohen song too! He’s a master poet in my eyes and I have always loved his deep, rich voice, sadly reduced and subdued a bit here. Bless you, friend. 🙂 x
Reblogged this on Pastor Michael Moore's Blog and commented:
And I too thank God that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it, Joy ❤️
Hello Michael, how good to see you here again, my friend! Thank you so much for sharing my post with your readers. God bless you, brother! ❤
Thank you, and bless you, Dear Joy. ❤
Thank you for stopping by, Cheryl Anne, it’s lovely to connect with you again, dear friend! May God continue to give you His perfect rest and peace. Blessings. xo
Thank you for this encouraging reminder, Joy, that the darkness must always yield to the Light of the world! I need that reminder daily! I always love how God shines light through the dark clouds in nature, so thank you also for the photos. Several times this summer God’s glory breaking through the clouds has encouraged me that God is still King. I share about this along with several photos in my tomorrow’s post. Blessings and hugs!
Hi Trudy, oh yes, me too! I think we can quickly lose sight of God’s Light when the world’s darkness seems to cover and suffocate us at times. I also love how the light breaks through heavy clouds, making them feel less oppressive somehow. I look forward to catching up with your words soon, dear friend. Blessings and hugs! xo ❤
Beautiful, life-giving thoughts, my friend. We’ve been spending time in the book of Daniel, learning about a sovereign God Who controls even the dreams of a pagan king. Encouraging words. Have a blessed week!
Hello June, it’s lovely to see you, my friend! Studying the book of Daniel is a wonderful thing to do. My husband took copious notes when he watched a series on it by Chuck Missler a few years ago. It’s absolutely fascinating and some of the prophecies are so applicable to the times we are living in. May it bring insight and awe to your heart. Thank you so much for being here and encouraging me with your words. Have a blessed end of the week and a restful weekend to come. xo ❤