Blow in my Dark!

“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

‘Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!’
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:5-7,10-11 

“Thus says the Lord,
he who created you,..
    he who formed you:
‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
You are precious in my eyes,
    and honored, and I love you…
Fear not, for I am with you.” Isaiah 43:1-5

In the dark and still after twilight, the first blow was distant, almost imperceptible. It came closer, in stretched out rhythm, with others, soon surrounding the dock on three water sides by lusty exhales through the glossy black surface. At least half a dozen dolphins dove and swirled, folding the water in the cove like batter in a bowl, punctuating the quiet night with marvelous breaths of life.

Isn’t this so like our Lord, moving, unexpectedly, in our darkness, gracefully stirring beneath the surface, blowing His life into our unsettling unknowns and looming unseens? We are unsure how to pray but cry out with wrangling of soul, and He reminds us of His presence, at once mysterious, invisible, and very near. His presence is His movement, His holy activity, His divine life injected into our dark conundrums. Welcome, Lord! Blow on!

There are times, moments and seasons, when all seems dark, and is heavy. Nations rage, storms unleash, parties fight. We are confronted with weighty decisions, a false accusation, a pernicious threat, financial uncertainty, complicated circumstances that appear impossible to untangle or escape, grief over death or betrayal. When we quiet ourselves, adjust our eyes to that dark and are still, we sense our Lord of hosts with us, and hear His blow. He sees all, and is active in all, though we cannot see Him. Our darkness is not dark to Him, but light with divine purpose and revelation. (Psalm 139:12)

Are we listening? Are we still enough to know, really know, that God is in our midst, that He is vibrantly God, and He will be exalted in the nations and every circumstance? Will we rest in the sure, unchangeable truth that God loves us, has redeemed us, and is with us never to part?

“When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.” ~Edward Mote (1797-1874)

My Lord, keep me standing on the solid rock that is You. Keep me attuned to hearing Your wondrous blow in my dark, and trusting that it is good, and that You will be exalted.