We had friends over one night, and six kids were playing in the bedroom. The slightly bigger kids were turning the bedroom into a haunted house, complete with spooky noises and no lights.

Justin, the one toddler in the room, ran to turn on the lights, saying, “Scary!”

The other five wanted the lights off, enjoying the elementary-school level of fear they were trying to create. Back and forth the disagreement went. The toddler wouldn’t give up. Finally, the other kids gave in.

But it wasn’t the same. You just can’t have fear when the lights are on.

Grown-ups live in an actual haunted house because this world is full of actual scary situations. Children contract life-threatening diseases, marriages crumble, parents suffer from dementia, paychecks barely seem to cover the bills.

With faith like a child, you run to the Light. Shine the light of truth on your fears. Because Jesus suffered the ultimate darkness on the cross—separation from the Father while paying the consequences for our sins—he is more than qualified to handle the darkness of our daily lives. He gives you his light and his strength to face each challenge. Now you get to say, “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall” (2 Samuel 22:29,30).