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April 2, 2025 9 mins

"Even the darkness will not be dark to you. The night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." 

The shadows in our lives take many forms—sometimes they're the big challenges that shake our foundations, and sometimes they're those quiet worries that creep in when we least expect them. Whatever darkness you're facing today, Psalm 139:12 offers something remarkable: a God who doesn't just sit with us in our dim places but actually transforms them.

What makes this truth so powerful isn't that it dismisses our struggles or demands we quickly overcome them. Instead, it acknowledges the reality of our human experience while revealing God's perfect vision that cuts through every shadow. The anxiety keeping you up at night? The relationship that feels beyond repair? That uncertain future you can't quite make out? None of these limit His ability to see, know, and guide you forward.

The beauty of God's presence is that it doesn't demand your perfection—it meets your vulnerability. You don't need to have it all together before turning to Him. In fact, those raw, honest moments of saying "I can't carry this alone" are precisely where His light begins to work. Like a sunrise after a long night, His presence doesn't just illuminate your circumstances; it fundamentally changes how you experience them. The shadows don't magically disappear, but they lose their power to define you.

How might your week look different if you carried this truth with you? What if you paused for small moments of surrender throughout your day, inviting His light into the places that feel darkest? The peace He offers isn't dependent on perfect circumstances but on His unwavering presence. Whatever you're facing, remember—no darkness is too deep for the One who sees it all and still chooses to draw near.

I would love to hear from you!

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Greetings and welcome to this week's episode of Faith
Unplugged, your midweekdevotional brought to you by the
Faith Compass Podcast.
I'm Javier, and it's a joy tohave you join me today.
This is our time to step awayfrom the chaos of daily life,
pause for prayer and reflectionand realign ourselves with the
calm and comfort of God'spresence.
Today we're diving into abeautiful truth that I believe
will meet you right where youare, whether you're feeling

(00:21):
energized and hopeful or weigheddown by the struggles of this
week.
Life has a way of throwingshadows across our path, doesn't
it?
Sometimes it's the big things,unexpected challenges or deep
losses, and sometimes it's thequiet, nagging worries that
creep in when we least expect it.
But no matter where you're at,today I've got good news.
God's presence is a light thatno darkness can overcome.
Our anchor for this episodecomes from the book of Psalms,

(00:44):
chapter 139, verse 12, in thenew international version.
It says even the darkness willnot be dark to you.
The night will shine like theday, for darkness is as light to
you.
Take a second to let that sinkin the darkness that feels so
heavy to us.
It's not dark to him, the nightthat seems endless.
It shines like day in his eyes.
This isn't just poetry, it's apromise, and it's a promise

(01:05):
we're going to unpack togetherover the next few minutes.
Here's why this verse resonateswith me.
It doesn't gloss over thereality of darkness.
It doesn't deny the shadows,pretend they won't show up or
suggest we won't feel theirburden.
Instead, it points us to theone who sees past them.
Maybe you woke up today carryinga weight you can't quite pin
down concern for someone youlove, anxiety over a choice, or

(01:25):
just an uneasy feeling thatsomething's not right.
That's fine.
You don't need to bury it orsort it out before turning to
God.
A holy encounter with Himbegins right there, in the raw
truth of your moment.
Today we'll dig into how Hispresence doesn't just soothe us
in the darkness, it changes it.
So grab your coffee, take aslow breath and let's step away
from the noise and into thepeace only he offers.

(01:45):
We'll begin by unpacking whatthis darkness feels like and why
facing it solo is so tough.
Let's be honest darkness is apart of life.
Psalm 139, verse 12, doesn'tdeny that.
It says Even the darkness willnot be dark to you.
The night will shine like theday, for darkness is as light to
you.
But before we get to the light,we need to name the shadows.
For some of us, darkness showsup as anxiety that keeps us up

(02:07):
at night replaying every what-ifscenario.
For others, it's the pain of astrained relationship, words
left unsaid or wounds thathaven't healed.
Maybe it's the uncertainty ofwhat's next to job, a move, a
season of life that feels foggyand unclear.
Whatever it is for you, it'sreal and unclear.
Whatever it is for you, it'sreal and it can feel
overwhelming, like a weight thatpresses down and makes it hard
to see a way forward.

(02:28):
I think about those morningswhen the alarm goes off and
instead of energy, there's justthis heaviness.
You know what I mean.
It's not always dramatic, it'snot always a crisis, but it's
there.
Lingering Doubt creeps in.
Am I enough?
Can I handle this?
Does God even see me in thismess?
That's the human experience.
We're not wired to navigate thedark alone.
And here's the thing we weren'tmeant to.
The world tells us to musclethrough, to fake it till we make

(02:50):
it.
But God offers somethingdifferent.
He doesn't ask us to pretendthe shadows aren't there.
He meets us in them.
Think about your own life rightnow.
What's the dim spot you'recarrying today.
Maybe it's something you'vebeen wrestling with for weeks,
or maybe it hit you out ofnowhere this morning.
Name it, Not out loud if youdon't want it, just in your
heart, Because here's the truth.
God already knows it.
Psalm 139 is all about Hisintimate knowledge of us.

(03:13):
He sees every corner of oursoul, every fear, every ache and
that darkness that feels soisolating.
It's not a barrier to Him.
It's not a place he avoids.
In fact, it's exactly where hewants to step in.
So, as we move forward in thisepisode, hold that thought.
The shadows you're facingaren't the end of the story.
They're the starting point forhis light to break through.
Now let's shift gears and lookat this from God's eyes.

(03:35):
Psalm 139, Chapter 139, Verse 12says Even the darkness will not
be dark to you.
The night will shine like theday, for darkness is as light to
you.
What's incredible here is thecontrast between how we see
things and how God does.
To us, darkness is disorienting, it's scary, it hides what's
ahead and makes us feel stuck,but to God, it's not even a

(03:56):
thing.
The night shines like the day.
That's not just a poeticflourish.
It's a revelation of who he is.
He's not limited by what limitsus.
He's not confused by whatconfuses us.
What we call darkness is justanother canvas for his light.
Imagine this you're walkingthrough a pitch black room, arms
outstretched, fumbling for thewalls.
That's us in our struggles.
But God, he's got night vision.

(04:17):
That never fails.
He sees every detail, the tearsyou've cried, the prayers
you've whispered, the hopesyou're afraid to voice.
And he's not just watching froma distance.
He's right there with you,illuminating what you can't see.
This is why Psalm 139 is socomforting.
It's not about escaping the dark.
It's about discovering that thedark isn't dark to him.
He's not waiting for you toclimb out of it before he shows

(04:38):
up.
His presence is already there,steady and sure.
So what does that mean for youtoday?
It means that whatever feelsoverwhelming isn't too big for
him.
That strained relationship.
He sees the path to healing.
Even if you don't thatuncertain future, he's already
in it, working things you can'tyet imagine, the quiet ache you
can't explain.
He understands it better thanyou do.
This isn't about ignoring thepain.

(04:59):
It's about trusting that he'sbigger than it.
His light doesn't just brightenthe room, it changes the room.
And that's where hope starts toflicker, Not in pretending
everything's fine, but inknowing he's near, seeing what
you can't.
So how do we tap into this?
Psalm, chapter 139, verse 12,tells us Even the darkness will
not be dark to you.
The night will shine like theday, for darkness is as light to

(05:20):
you.
The key is his presence.
It's not automatic.
We have to invite him in, Notbecause he's far off, but
because he waits for us to turntoward him.
A sacred morning or a sacredmidweek reset like this isn't
about having it all together.
It's about bringing what you'vegot the good, the bad, the
messy and laying it before him.
Think about how you startedyour day.
Did you rush into the noise ordid you pause to breathe?

(05:43):
If you're like me, it's usuallythe former emails, to-do lists,
the grind.
But what if we stopped even fora minute and said God, I need
your light here?
That's where the change happens.
It's not about long fancyprayers, it's just I can't carry
this alone.
Be with me, and he will.
His presence doesn't demandperfection, it meets
vulnerability.
That's what the psalmist knew.

(06:06):
God sees all, knows all andstill chooses to draw near.
Try this right now, whereveryou are.
Close your eyes, if you can,and picture that dim spot you
named earlier.
Then invite him into it.
Lord, shine your light here.
You don't have to feel anythingdramatic, just trust he's
listening, Because he is.
His presence is like a sunriseslow, steady, unstoppable.
It chases away the cold andwarms what's been numb.
This is your reset not fixingeverything, but letting Him hold
it with you.
Here's where it gets exciting.

(06:29):
Psalm 139, chapter 139, verse 12says God doesn't just sit with
us in the dark, he transforms it.
His light doesn't just reveal,it redeems.
Think about a sunrise after along night.
It doesn't just show you thelandscape, it changes how you
feel about it.
His light doesn't just reveal,it redeems.
Think about a sunrise after along night.
It doesn't just show you thelandscape, it changes how you
feel about it.
That's what he does in ourlives.

(06:50):
The shadows don't disappear,but they lose their power to
define us.
Maybe that strained relationshipwon't heal overnight, but his
light can soften your hearttoward it.
That uncertain future it'sstill unknown, but his presence
gives you courage to step intoit.
That ache it might linger, butit's no longer a void.
It's a space where he meets you.
This is the miracle of hislight it turns what we dread

(07:11):
into something sacred, Not byerasing it, but by infusing it
with himself.
That's the reset we're aftertoday.
Not a perfect life, but aperspective shift that says I'm
not alone in this.
Reflect on a time when Godturned your darkness into light.
Maybe it was a season youthought you'd never survive, and
yet here you are.
His presence carried you.
That's what he's doing now too,even if you can't see it yet.

(07:32):
Trust the process, as light isat work.
So what do we do with this?
Psalm 139, chapter 139, verse12 promises Even the darkness
will not be dark to you.
The night will shine like theday.
For this isn't just a feel-goodmoment.
It's a way to live.
When we grasp that his presenceis our light, it changes how we
face the rest of this week.

(07:53):
We don't have to muster upstrength.
We don't have.
We lean into his.
Practically, that might meanpausing midday to whisper a
prayer when stress hits, orchoosing to trust him with one
thing you've been controlling.
It's not about big gestures.
It's about small surrendersthat keep us plugged into his
peace.
Carry this truth today.

(08:16):
No darkness is too deep for him.
Let it steady you when theshadows creep back in.
You're not defenseless.
You're held by the one who seesit all.
Let's wrap up with prayer.
Psalm 139, chapter 139, verse12 says Even the darkness will
not be dark to you.
The night will shine like theday, for darkness is as light to
you.
Lord, we thank you for thattruth.
We bring you our shadows today,the worries, the doubts, the
pain.
Shine your light there.
Transform what we can't carryalone.

(08:36):
Be our peace this week.
Amen.
Thanks for joining me on Faith.
Unplugged this is your reset.
Unplugged from the noise.
Plug into his peace.
I'm Javier and I'll see younext time.
Go in his light, God bless.
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