I’m noticing an increasing number of people are losing the strength of their original faith – a faith once vibrant and filled with hope. They don’t have enough belief left to power their faith or take a step of obedience because they feel disconnected and powerless. This happens because something is either missing or abandoned.

As I write this, I am sitting in darkness. Last night due to wildfires across our region, the power company shut down the power grid to lessen the possibility of a spark from a downed line causing a new fire.

I rolled over in bed to check the time and saw our illuminated clock was dark. I got out of bed and sure enough, our street was dark. My flashlight confirmed the time was 2:30 am. I was thankful for that battery-powered clock.

Out came the flashlights and candles. I started our gas stove and made a pot of coffee from a coffee press and went into our living room candle in hand. Candlelight is hard to read by, so I sat in the darkness and began to worship the Lord. That one decision – to worship God in the darkness of a powerless night – changed how I viewed the coming hours. Today the forecast is for 105 degrees. Until the power returns, the AC will be down. It is estimated the power will be off until noon about ten hours from now.

I have noticed in my life and in the lives of others that when the challenges of life have made us feel like we are sitting alone in a dark place, there is a solution. The solution is worship. Not the sanctuary or stadium kind of production, but what I experienced this morning. 

I sat in the darkness softly singing old hymns and worship choruses acapella like I was worshipping in a stone prison cell 2,000 years ago. I also sang in my heavenly language between the choruses and hymns. At that moment, while sitting in the darkness and worshipping God, the light of His presence surrounded me. The darkness was no longer a problem because the Presence sat with me in the darkness.

(As I was writing this, I noticed an advisory appeared on my computer screen letting me know I could use my iPhone as an Internet hotspot to post this message. When the power goes out, it’s the little things that make us grateful.)