Steps in the Dark
by John Berry
There are times when we find it hard to trust God in the unknowns of life even though many of us are very familiar with this much-quoted text. In a recent prayer meeting someone was given a clear illustration of the principle of walking by faith which really encouraged us, and I share it with you.
The lighting in the corridors of Glyndley Manor has been upgraded this year (so that it’s legal, but also more effective). Each corridor has several low-energy ‘downlighters’ in it, but only one or two are on permanently. The remainder come on as you walk down the corridor, activated by a movement sensor. So at night you start your journey down the corridor just able to see what is immediately ahead, the remainder of the way being in darkness. However, as you step forward into the gloom the other lights come on, and all is revealed!
How like the way God expects us to live our lives here! He sets us the general direction, but often we can’t see what’s lying ahead of us. At this point we have two choices: stay where we are and cry out to God to “turn the light on” so we can see all the way ahead, or trust Him and take those small steps into the dark which will result in more light being shed ahead of us. As we walk forward in Him we may well encounter more ‘dark’ areas. For example, once we have established the ministry God asked us to, we then meet the challenge of ongoing resources being needed to see it continue. Are we going to stand still and shout at God, or believe He asks us to step forward in faith and see what happens next?
God is the God of miracles – we’ve been reminded of this many times, not least in the story of the founding of Ellel Ministries at Ellel Grange. If we believe it, let’s live in that faith and step into what may seem dark at the moment. The Holy Spirit is a ‘movement sensor’ and He will quickly report to the Father so He can turn on the light for your path!
Prayer: Father, thank You that Your Word is a lamp to our feet. Help us to believe Your Word and step out in its truth, so our ways will be enlightened and our faith strengthened. Amen.
John Berry entered the Baptist Ministry more than 40 years ago, and joined the Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor in 2007 with his wife Jennie. They have both now retired from the team but remain as part of the Teaching and Associate Ministry Teams at Glyndley. John and Jennie have seven Grandchildren.
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