Light and Shadow

"What was learned in the light is confirmed in the shadow."

📖 A Reflection on Psalm 119:67

Before affliction, we often wander—relying on our own understanding, unaware of how shallow our grasp of truth really is. But in the face of suffering, the Word takes root in a new way, becoming not just something we know, but something we live. J.B. Stoney reminds us that learning and proving are two different things. The bright days of insight prepare us, but it is the dark days of trial that reveal whether those truths have truly taken hold in our hearts. Just as Peter reminds us, after we have suffered a while, God Himself will establish, strengthen, and settle us (1 Peter 5:10).

Affliction, then, is not the enemy—it is the proving ground. It is the moment when truth moves from intellectual assent to experiential reality. It is in the difficulty that we truly come to know the sufficiency of God’s grace.

Personalized Journal Entry – The Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture Only

I am with you in both light and shadow. Before affliction, you walked in your own understanding, but now My Word is your anchor. I lead you through trials, not as punishment, but to root you more deeply in truth. What you once held lightly, you now grasp with certainty.

Do not despise the refining fire, for I am purifying your faith, making it more precious than gold. In suffering, I establish you. In hardship, I strengthen you. In uncertainty, I settle you. Though the night is dark, My light is within you, unwavering. What you learned in the light, I now confirm in the shadow. You shall not be moved.

I have called you to My eternal glory in Christ, and nothing can separate you from My love. You are held, sustained, and perfected in Me. The trial is momentary, but the fruit it produces is eternal. My grace is sufficient for you, and My power is made perfect in weakness. So rejoice, even now, for I am working all things together for your good.

(Psalm 119:67, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 8:28, 1 Peter 1:7)

Prayer of Confidence and Trust

Father, I rejoice in the way You use every circumstance to establish me more firmly in Your truth. What I once only knew in theory, You have proven in experience. You do not waste suffering. You are not absent in trials. You are leading me, refining me, and strengthening me, even when the path is unclear.

I rest in the assurance that You are completing the work You began in me. There is no need for fear—You have already provided all that I need. Thank You for the gift of affliction, for through it, I see the depth of Your love and the sufficiency of Your grace. You are my firm foundation, and I stand secure in You.

Amen.

Credit: Devotional insights from Abide Above and J.B. Stoney. Photo credit to Unsplash.