The Darker Promises of God

We are a Star Wars family through and through.  We have “Yoda Soda”, “Princess Leah Cinnamon Buns” and Millennium Falcon-shaped pancakes the day each new movie comes out (which the entire family attends on opening night).  A couple of my teenagers have been known to wake up at 3 am the morning a new Disney+ episode airs of  The Mandalorian or Bad Batch. And we might even speak to one another in  Star Wars quotes, from “It’s a trap!” to “Do or do not.  There is no try”.  I even have photos of the first time we showed episode IV (the first movie made) to our oldest sons, then ages 2 and 5.  You could say we’re obsessed.

I’m not sure what feature or characteristic of this saga provides the biggest draw for us:  the cinematic features, the theme music, the back stories of individual characters, or just the overarching idea of light versus darkness, known as simply ”the force”.

Much of the underlying tension in the story of Star Wars is maintaining balance in the force.  This constant pull between the light side and the dark side.  It got me thinking about the tension between the now and the not yet, the strain between the Biblical promises we can claim and the darkness we are yet “promised” to walk through on this side of eternity.

I love meditating on God’s “lighter” promises as I’m awaiting the perfection of heaven.  Promises of His presence (Isaiah 41:10), His peace (Isaiah 26:3), and His power (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Promises of His counsel (Psalm 32:8), His comfort (Psalm 23:4), and His compassion (Psalm 103:14).  They are extraordinarily comforting and encouraging.  

Psalm 34:17-19 assures us that the righteous will, at times, cry, be brokenhearted, have afflictions, and be crushed in spirit.  Romans 12:12 mentions the tribulation we will find ourselves persevering through, while Isaiah 43 says we will pass through waters and rivers, and walk through fire.  Luke 14 reminds us that ours is a life of carrying a cross, while Philippians 3 exhorts us to participate in the sufferings of Christ, becoming like Him in His death.  And Jesus pretty much sums all these up in John 16:33 when he says, “in this world, you will have trouble.” (emphasis mine).  

I think it’s healthy to keep these words of truth in mind, not  as a means to depress us further or cause us to give up, but as a funnel through which we live out the promises of triumph.  Sometimes we act entirely too surprised that we are facing storms at all.  Or worse, we try to blame them on non-spiritual forces –  the government, our boss, our spouse, our children or other family members – rather than the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that surround us daily in this broken world.  

I am learning to live in the balance of these seemingly opposed truths from God’s word because I know that remembering the darkness I experience here is only a speck on God’s eternal timeline, and the promises of light far outweigh the mentioned troubles in the end.  

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 puts it beautifully:

^“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

How I need both reminders: that my darkest moments are as sure as the brightest promises of His presence, his comfort and His ultimate salvation, and that the light of His promises are the means to endure all things for His glory alone!  We need both the promise that in this world we will have trouble, AND the promise that assures us He has overcome the world!

I’d love to hear your favorite promises (or your favorite Star Wars quotes☺), so please leave me a comment!

“May the force be with you” – Obi-Wan Kenobi.