Day 42 (Year 2)

Seeking God in the Darkness

“Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.” (Psalm 112:4 NASB)

The earlier verse states that blessed is the one who fears the Lord and greatly delights in His commandments (Psalm 112:1). Believers who love God’s commands are naturally willing to obey them, through obedience, gradually understand and share in His character. Similarly, today’s scripture highlights an essential quality for turning from darkness to light: uprightness. The word “upright” (yashar in the Hebrew) also means “correct, just, straight, and righteous.” It refers to someone who loves what is right and just, and who deals with others without deceit. Therefore, believers should examine whether we treat people and matters with godly fairness and justice. The first verse of this psalm resonates with verse four. In the Old Testament, those who love God’s commands and fear Him are often regarded by Him as upright and righteous.

Today’s verse reveals God’s vital promise: Even when the upright are in darkness, light will shine upon them—likely referring to light from God Himself. Indeed, darkness fills this sinful world, and even upright people are often affected by it. Because of others’ sins or the devil’s attacks, upright people may also find themselves in darkness. Thus, believers in darkness should not fear nor lose heart. Instead, we should persevere and trust that God’s light will soon shine upon us. While contending with darkness, we must hope for His light to overcome it.

The latter part of the verse mentions three qualities of the upright: graciousness, compassion, and righteousness. I believe that upright people possess these qualities because we have not been swallowed up or corrupted by darkness. Rather, we have been shaped by God. The key question, then, is how believers can receive strength from God while in darkness. I suggest that even in darkness, the upright must grasp every trace of what belongs to God, seeking His words, and staying connected with His people. The darker the environment, the more firmly we must hold onto God’s light. Even if we can grasp only a small glimmer of divine radiance, we must cling to it. Furthermore, only those who truly know and obey God will develop graciousness, compassion, and righteousness that align with His character. This is consistent with the earlier verse: fearing God leads to delighting in His commands and being always transformed by Him.

Reflection questions:  

1) Do you receive strength from God to resist the darkness around you? If you feel lacking, what will you do?  

2) Among the qualities of graciousness, compassion, and righteousness mentioned in the verse, which one do you most need to cultivate right now? What steps can you take to develop it?