According to “timeanddate.com,” — in Tampa, Florida, on 12/21/2021, sunrise will be at 7:16 am, and sunset will be at 5:39 pm. That means daylight will last for 10 hours and 23 minutes (10:22:16). Nighttime will last for 13 hours and 37 minutes.

In between daylight and nightfall is evening and morning “twilight.”

Today will be 2021’s longest day of darkness and the official beginning of Winter.

However, that does not mean that the Sun has stopped shinning. It just means that the Sun is not shining here and will not be shinning here until at least tomorrow.

Tomorrow, the daylight will be 2/60’s of a second longer ( 10:22:18).

As David stated . . . 

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.

There is comfort in knowing that. . . 

This is as long as nighttime can get.

Key Biblical Thoughts:

• time
• trials
• troubles
• tribulation
• light
• darkness
• creation
• seasons

 

Sermonic Example: There are several distinct ways to use illustrative material.

(use whatever you find useful in the above details)

Likewise . . . . . This is a dark day in your life, but this is not the only day of your life.

---

---

• “I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.” 
• “I believe in the sun
  even when it is not shining

  And I believe in love,
  even when there’s no one there.

  And I believe in God,
  even when He is silent.

  I believe through any trial,
  there is always a way

  But sometimes in this suffering
  and hopeless despair

  My heart cries for shelter,
  to know someone’s there

  But a voice rises within me, saying hold on
  my child, I’ll give you strength,
  I’ll give you hope. Just stay a little while.

  I believe in the sun
  even when it is not shining

  And I believe in love
  even when there’s no one there

  But I believe in God
  even when he is silent

  I believe through any trial
  there is always a way.

  May there someday be sunshine
  May there someday be happiness
  May there someday be love
  May there someday be peace….”

― Unknown (written during WW2, on the wall of a cellar, by a Jew in the Cologne concentration camp)