Embracing Dark Places to Shine a Light
On April 6, Mercy Lokulutu encouraged Regent University Chapel guests to embrace dark places and tension, because it’s in such environments that seeds are planted and one dies to them self. Exploring the story of Gideon in Judges 6, Lokulutu revealed how God develops His people in dark places so they can be a light, which comes through surrender to God’s Holy Spirit.
“I think that sometimes, those of us who call ourselves leaders are looking for fruit when we haven’t actually planted,” said Lokulutu. “We’re looking for the result of something when we actually haven’t died to ourselves. We haven’t actually surrendered to the Holy Spirit. If we are going to lead a prophetic life, we need to be led by the Spirit, and we must surrender. There is no shortcut.”
She says the story of Gideon tells us how we abort the potential of our seed if we don’t plant it. In the Bible story, an angel tells Gideon that God is with him. After Gideon questions how this is possible after his people were given to the hand of Midian, he is told to save Israel from Midian. He’s told God will be with him, even though he is weak.
“God specializes in doing this very thing,” said Lokulutu. “When we, regular people, normal people, broken people, human, frail, when we surrender ourselves to Him, when we take the seed of our lives and plant it in our local church, replant it in the House of God, we obey the voice of God, we obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, what happens? He takes very unlikely people, and very unlikely situations, using very unlikely strategies to do very unlikely miracles. That’s what God does, and that’s what He did with Gideon.”
Lokulutu used the example of how film must undergo an intense agitation and development process in the dark before photos can be produced. She says if you’re called and gifted, you must go through dark times to be built up. She encouraged those who experience such times to rejoice. The Lord, she says, is with them especially during that time.
“I have been through dark seasons,” said Lokulutu. “I would never give up the intimacy I had with the person of Jesus Christ in those moments for any mountain-top moment I’ve ever had. If you’re in that dark place, embrace it.”
Lokulutu is a nurse educator, author and Bible teacher, and has traveled the world for more than 10 years serving through medical missions. She is originally from Nigeria, but now lives in Texas with her husband and two children. Her desire is to help people come to know Jesus and how His Word will radically ignite the potential in each person.