Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
5 23 2025
“Even the Darkness is Light to You”
Psalm 139:11-12
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:6–7 (NIV)
What does it mean that light shines out of darkness?
We often imagine God’s light as something that invades darkness—like a flashlight in a cave or dawn breaking over a black sky. But Scripture is more daring. It tells us that God commands light to shine not just into, but from out of the darkness itself.
This changes everything.
It means the darkness is not wasted.
It means your brokenness, weakness, and struggle are not just tolerated by God—
they are transformed by Him.
The Divine Paradox
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians point to a divine paradox: “we have this treasure in jars of clay.”
We are fragile, ordinary vessels—easily cracked, prone to breaking. Yet God places within us the most extraordinary treasure: His own light. The very Spirit of Christ, the power of the Gospel, resides within our weakness so that the world sees it’s not about us—it’s about Him.
The “we” here are not strong, self-reliant optimists simply enduring life with a glass-half-full attitude. The “we” are broken people made whole by grace, shining not with our own brilliance but with the glory of Christ radiating through our fragility.
Light in the Everyday Darkness
Daily life is filled with shadows: temptation, doubt, disappointment, stress, and fear. It’s easy to retreat into our own strength, to lean on personal experience or worldly wisdom. But God calls us to something more radical—to let His light in us break forth into those very places.
He is not asking us to fix everything or to be invincibly strong. He is asking us to let Him shine.
Let the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart be lit by His truth (Psalm 19:14). Let the wisdom that guides your day be from His Word, not from the traditions of men or your past experiences (Colossians 2:8).
Let the light of the Gospel be what others see—especially in moments when your human weakness shows. That’s when His power is most visible.
The God Who Uses Darkness
God is not blind to your darkness. He doesn’t ignore your depression, your anxiety, your fear, or your failures. He doesn’t pretend they aren’t real. Instead, He uses them.
As one theologian said, “Even darkness is part of God’s creation and serves His purpose.” The Bible affirms this again and again:
“Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
— Psalm 139:11–12
From the very beginning, God made light shine out of darkness (Genesis 1:3). It was true then—and it’s true now, in you.
Live the Gospel, Don’t Just Defend It
Charles Spurgeon once said: “Let the pure Gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.”
Let us not spend all our energy defending God’s light with human arguments. Let us be the light. Live the Gospel. Let His Word speak through your life, your response to hardship, and your unwavering hope.
His Word will not return void. His light will not be dimmed.
In what area of your life are you trying to shine with your own strength instead of God’s?
Prayer
Lord, You are the God who brings light from darkness. Let Your light shine through me today—not just in moments of peace and ease, but especially in moments of struggle, weakness, and doubt. Let me remember that the treasure I carry is not of my own making, but from You. May I speak not just from my experiences, but from Your Word. Use my life, this fragile jar of clay, to display the power and beauty of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’ll be teaching a Discovering Jesus class online this next Tuesday from 7:00–8:30 EST PM for 3 more weeks. If you’re looking to grow your faith or know someone who is, I’d love for you to join us — or invite a friend. Here is the Link: https://meet.google.com/cfm-udos-iks
If you would like to pass this lesson and future devotions to someone, send them this Signup link:http://eepurl.com/i_nlb2 My website to view past devotions is https://fearlesslycourageous.com.
Lauren Daigle Light of the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cLhaZIBSpo
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