When God’s light feels dim, he asks us to have faith by remembering moments of past light.
In a moment of enlightening awe, I saw God’s plan for me in clear focus. I stood up after receiving a priesthood blessing and knew that Heavenly Father was guiding me through the darkness, and that I would receive the blessing I was praying for.
After a week, a month, a year, my certainty weakened, and I felt lost again in a spiritual eclipse. The longer I waited, the more I doubted whether God’s promises could be true. The blinding light of revelation had dimmed; I couldn’t see God’s plan at all.
Image by Henry & Co.
John B. Bingham, in his devotional, “In Awe: The Astonishing Goodness of God,” says, “This is normal! Spiritual feelings come and go throughout our lives, just as light does throughout a year.” Moments of lesser light are opportunities for faith. He explains: “Recognizing that God has made Himself known to us in the past gives us confidence that He will again in the future.”
Brother Bingham compares the reason for faith in times of dimmed spiritual light to the persistence of a sun blocked by the moon in a solar eclipse: “We can’t see the sun, but that does not change the fact that the sun is there. I know God is there. Always—even when we can’t see or feel the light of His love.”
In my spiritual eclipse, I asked God again for light and answers. The priesthood blessing came to my mind, and I knew God was speaking to me: I have already given you answers; remember them. Our lives cannot be a steady stream of blinding awe—when we are in the dimmer light, God asks for our faith in the light we have already received.
Read more about God’s awesome power in our lives by reading John B. Bingham’s full devotional, “In Awe: The Astonishing Goodness of God.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Brooklyn Hughes, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY IRINA IRISER
Find more insights
Strengthen your faith in God’s plan by reading Kenzie Holbrook’s article “Do You Have Faith In God’s Plan Even If It’s Not Yours?”
Learn new ways to build your faith daily in Abigail Tree’s article “Everyday Acts of Faith Build Testimonies.”