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Shepherd Daily Devotional

It Begins in the Dark

If life is hitting you with dark experiences; stay strong!

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

We like to associate ourselves with light because it is one of the most universal and widely accepted symbols. Light is the principal force in the spiritual world. In religion, those who get revelations as a result of their understanding of God’s word are seen as the light of the world. In the secular world, light represents knowledge. We like to think of light as the source of goodness and the ultimate symbol of progress. Therefore, light represents leadership because the symbolism of light is used to show direction. We’ve been taught to believe that you cannot advance if you don’t have light. So those who represent light in our lives are seen as leaders. We follow them because they radiate our environment with their light. In other words, they make us see.

While light is considered a symbol of joy, immortality, higher power and of life-giving power, darkness is seen as a representation of death and destruction, in almost every religion. By reason of that, we often embrace light and then try as much as possible to avoid anything associated with darkness. But in reality, darkness plays an important role in the making of light. Indeed, light is a positive force but one cannot have light in any area of life without going through darkness. This means that darkness begets light. Before God created light, darkness was over the surface of the deep. Light, was therefore created out of the dark. Isn’t it amazing that we cannot see the break of dawn until we’ve passed through the darkness of the night? My friend, if life is hitting you with dark experiences; stay strong. You light will show up at the right time.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to pass through the dark. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 23

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional

Unexpected Trouble

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

The crisis you’re going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be.

We don’t have to always blame ourselves for every crisis that shows up in our lives. You don’t have to make mistakes before getting into trouble. A crisis may come into a person’s life in the form of a strange illness through no fault of theirs. Or it may come through a sudden incident that occurred in a person’s business or career. For instance, a fire incident or the sudden death of a colleague or business partner can bring about a crisis. You may also find yourself in a financial crisis because of an economic recession. You are not the reason why your country is in recession, but somehow you are affected by it. So, crises are actually problems that come into our lives unexpectedly. Crises are uninvited troubles. There are times that troubles would meet you even while you were minding your own business.

If you are currently going through a crisis, as long as you stay strong and determined, you would overcome it. Crises do not come to stay; they always have an expiration date. While crises can be painful, they also have some benefits. Crisis comes to shake up certain things in our lives. No one goes through a crisis without growing. The crisis you are going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be. Don’t let the crisis you are going through kill you. Use it as an opportunity to reinvent yourself. The crisis in your life has come to wake you up. Above all, the troubles you are facing will bring you closer to God. David said, “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). Like David, you will be grateful in the end.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to stay strong. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 119

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.