You know what my favorite fruit is? Blackberries.

This hasn’t always been the case. When I was younger, I was more of a cantaloupe or honey dew melon kind of gal. But these days, give me all the berries. Strawberries. Raspberries. Blueberries. But mostly blackberries.

They are the sweetest. Ooh, yum.

And there’s a trick I learned. I look for the blackest berries, because the darker the berry is, the sweeter the juice tastes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if darkness made everything sweeter, like, say, the darker the metaphorical night, the sweeter the season of life?

Ha! But we all know that isn’t true. The darkest nights are the most bitter, difficult ones to endure. And baby, I have been through some dark nights for sure. I know you have, too.

But there’s a portion of a verse I love in Psalm 23:4 NIV: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Even the darkest, hardest, loneliest, lowest places that should make us fearful don’t have to, that is, if we remember that God is with us in the dark.

When our first daughter Kyla was small, she had a Care Bear she slept with every evening that lit up. In order to get the bear to glow, however, each night, her daddy would hold it up to the light for 30 seconds. After that, it would emit this soft light and chase the darkness in the room away. That Care Bear served as a cuddle buddy and a night light.

Kyla loved that thing for years and years, and it was one of our best toy purchases ever.

Just like Kyla’s beloved teddy, when we go through our darkest valleys, we can cling to the Lord who cares for us. And what’s even better is that He doesn’t need an external source of light. He is the light that shines in the darkness and chases the shadows away.

God sent me to tell you today, no matter how dark it gets, don’t be afraid of the dark. The light of His love, His favor, His wisdom, and His power will keep on shining. He is causing His face to shine upon you and showing you grace. His blessing is upon you, friend, according to Numbers 6:24-26.

And He is also saying, the shadow of death is no match for Him. The dark shadow of doubt and fear is not match for Him. The dark shadow of sickness and defeat is no match for Him. The dark shadow of lack and discouragement is no match for Him. The dark shadow of loneliness and depression is no match for Him. The dark shadow of worry and anxiety is no match for Him.

To remind you that He is causing His light to shine on you, I’m stirring John 1:5 into your cup of inspiration, which says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

The darkness can never extinguish God’s light. The good things God is doing for you, in you, and through you cannot be hindered, stopped, or canceled out by the darkness around you.

God’s favor surrounds you like a shield (Psalm 5:12)!

Now, let’s pray.

God, thank You for shining the light of Your grace and favor upon me in dark situations. I rejoice that Your overwhelming blessings will overtake me and overcome the darkness that surrounds me. I receive all You have for me by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!