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When You’re Waiting In The Dark (Praying Through Uncertainty)

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark… John 20:1

Mary Magdalene was one of the select few to follow Jesus to the cross.

Years before, Jesus healed Mary of seven demons (Luke 8:1-2), and her gratitude and loyalty drove her to go where even His closest friends wouldn’t.

It’s one thing to follow Jesus to a cross — it’s quite another to follow Him to a tomb. Mary watched as the One who had healed her bowed His head, breathed His last, and declared, “It is finished.”

It was clearly over. This wasn’t unmet expectations — this was buried expectations.

And yet, we read how Mary chose to go to the tomb while it was still dark. There was no light. No hope. No expectation that Jesus would be coming back, despite the fact He had promised them He would. But isn’t it hard to recall what Jesus spoke in the light when you’re left in the dark?

As Mary walked toward the place where her hope was buried to anoint Jesus’ body with spices, she also wondered… because waiting always leads to wondering. Who would roll the stone away? She was doing the job nobody else had the guts to do, and yet she didn’t even have the strength to do it (Mark 16:1-11).

But God had already worked out what she was worried about. Mary and the other women arrived to find the stone rolled away and Jesus’ body gone. And yet again, when everybody had left the tomb because there was nothing left to see, Mary remained outside, “facing the tomb, crying.”

And it was in that place she came face to face with resurrection. Mary got the privilege of being the first person to see Jesus after He rose from the grave. Jesus entrusted her with the news that would change everything. She wasn’t in the right place at the right time by luck. She was positioned for a miracle because of what she chose to do while it was still dark.

If you walk away at the cross, you won’t be able to welcome resurrection. And could it be that what God will entrust you with is directly related to how closely you’re willing to follow Him through the dark?

​​Isaiah 45:3 says, "I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I, Yahweh, the God of Israel call you by your name." If you're walking through uncertainty today, be encouraged! There are treasures and miracles right where you are. God is giving you a testimony as you navigate the darkness, and one day you will be able to declare in the light all the things He showed you in the dark.

Father, thank You that even when my hope seems buried, it’s never lost. Help me to not grow weary while I wait on You. I want to stay alert in hopeful anticipation for what You will do next. Bring to mind what You’ve spoken over me in the light when I walk through the dark. In Jesus’ name, amen.