Today’s confession should not come as much of a shocker since I previously confessed to being a closet claustrophobic.  So it should come as no surprise that I confess to my dislike of tunnels and I avoid them at all costs.

There is a reason people refer to, “the light at the end of the tunnel.”  The reason being, there is no light in the tunnel.  It is dark in there.  You can’t see up ahead, so you don’t know what’s coming next.  If you can’t see the light at the end, you have no idea how much further it is, how much longer your time in the tunnel will be. Sound familiar?

We all want out of the tunnel!  Tunnels are dark, unpleasant, confining, scary places that lead  to who knows where? but we hope they lead to something better on the other side, or we would never have entered into them in the first place. . .   or maybe we were forced in   . . .

Often tunnels have to be traveled alone.  They are a part of one’s solitary journey to get to the other side or to the end of whatever it might be.  But this tunnel, built by the COVID-19 virus, has swallowed all of us up and into her cavernous darkness – in one gulp she has ingested our entire globe.  She has taken us captive and dared us to find the light waiting for us at the other end of her.

We may feel like we have been left alone to find our way in the darkness.  But in this tunnel, the tunnel that COVID-19 built, we have plenty of company because no one is exempt from the effects of her presence.  So we are all crammed in this dark place together, trying to find our way out (while practicing our social distancing of course).

However, this description of the dark tunnel doesn’t really ring totally true for me. Yes, tunnels are typically dark places, devoid of all light.  And yes I am in this one along with everyone else.  but –  just as God was with Daniel’s three friends in the furnace – He is with us in this tunnel.  And His presence provides us light.  His presence is light!

How can I be sure God’s presence is here with me?  Psalm 139:7-10 is pretty clear on that subject.  “Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.”  (this is not the time to be practicing social distancing from God, holding His hand is CDC approved, I’m sure)

In fact, my Heavenly Father reassures me in Isaiah 41:13 saying, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

So God’s got me by the hand but there’s more. He is also the light in my darkness. He is the light in this dark tunnel we are all in.

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.”   (Psalm 139:11-12)

In John 1:4-5 &9 I read these words about Jesus, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   . . .   The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

James 1:17 describes God as “the Father of the heavenly lights,”  Psalm 104:2 says, “He wraps Himself in light as with a garment;”.

That’s Who I have in this tunnel with me, holding my hand – the Creator who said, “let there be light!”,  the God who calls every star by name, the Father of the heavenly lights, the One who dresses in light, the One who is the light of the world.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   (John 8:12)

Today, I do not see any light at the end of this tunnel because I can’t even see the end of the tunnel itself.  But I do not walk this tunnel alone and I do not walk this tunnel in darkness.  The One who holds my hand to guide me through this is The Light!   

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I have what I need right now in the tunnel where there is work for me to do today – Lord, help me to redeem each day.

sincerely,       Grace Day