But when I looked for good, evil came; and when I waited for light, darkness came.

There are moments that the crystal clarity of God’s purpose knocks you in the head. When you’re driving home late at night, the radio off because there’s nothing good on anyway, and He drops everything on you at once: The seemingly random way you’ve come to this point. The reason for things that have happened. The revelation of why these things didn’t turn out the way you had planned (as if you really had any say).

He reveals a glimpse of the truth. It’s exciting and scary, and you don’t know how it’ll work, but you’re going to trust it.

And then, almost instantaneously, that clarity is clouded over.

It could be a lingering doubt that never quite went away. Or a completely unrelated thing a friend said to you. Or just a solitary sleepless night, wandering the house because it’s better than lying in bed wide awake.

It was a glorious time when the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity. “Go build your temple!” the king had said, and they rushed into Jerusalem to glorify God. But, wait, this edict says you can’t build anything. And now foreigners want to help. We can’t let the impure into our holy temple. Hey, God, when in the world can we rebuild the temple? Isn’t this what You want?

We wait for the light, but darkness envelops. Yes, the darkness makes the forthcoming light so much brighter. But that doesn’t mean it’s any easier, when we’re literally crying to him in the dark. But that’s part of the process, too. The light will come, and in our continual worship and devotion He will continue to guide us toward it.