When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21
Many times when we think of God we think of light. We think that if there is darkness and God enters, the darkness has to fade, and in a way that’s true. But what if it doesn’t fade? Is God there? The answer to that is yes. Not only is God there, but he has been there from the very beginning waiting to guide you through that thick darkness.
Scripture says that when the Israelites saw the thunder and lightning and smoke they trembled with fear and stayed at a distance. They were scared that if they went into that darkness they were going to die.
When I read that passage I imagine a volcano erupting. Now I know it was not a volcano in Mt. Sinai, but that is the scene that comes to mind. And at that moment the Israelites survival instincts kicked in. Because who in their right mind would walk into a volcano that is erupting? It is human nature to run away from anything that possesses any danger us. So in a way I do not blame them for not wanting to go near.
But we have to look at this in a spiritual sense. Sometimes it is necessary for us to go through the darkness in order to see God’s power and to grow as believers. That darkness might look different for everyone. It can be depression, sickness, the loss of a loved one, financial, etc. But before we go into that thick darkness, God is already there waiting for us. He will guide us through it, we don’t have to go through it alone.
God will see us through
The darkness will come to our lives, it is inevitable. But God is already there to see us through, he will not forsake us. When we feel that all hope is lost God is there to give us our hope back. When we feel like we are going to die because the darkness that we are in feels so unbearable, God promises to bring us out alive.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2
We will come out victorious
When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai his face was radiant from being in God’s presence. In the midst of what seemed to be a very scary situation, God revealed himself to Moses. It was at this time when God gave Moses the Law and the Ten Commandments.
Just like Moses, if we let God guide us while we are in the thick darkness, we will come out victorious. Whatever thick darkness we face, we can rest assured that God has full control of the situation. He will not give us more than we can bear. Everything works together for good to those that love God.
