Isaiah 50:10 – Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. As God’s children fear the Lord and walk according to His word, there are times when they do not receive light to go forward. They have the experience of walking through dark hours and are unable to see the way. Abraham had this experience in his encounter with the Lord, but that led him to come to grips with the Covenant God who renewed His vows with Abraham and to reassure him of the future. David walked through the valley of the darkness in the physical and spiritual sense, but got the reassurance of the Lord not to fear because the Lord was with him. In the pit and in the dungeon, Joseph had the experience of darkness. The Lord trained him in darkness and brought him to greater light. Both Jeremiah and Paul had experienced darkness in their ministries, but the Lord showed them that in spite of darkness, the light was going to dawn on them to help the ministry to keep going. The same was the case with Daniel, Job, Moses and other servants of God who had to go through darkness where they were able to experience the presence of God. Wherever there is the presence of God, whether in darkness or light, there we will experience the peace of God that He is in control of our situation. We might be in the centre of a storm in the midnights of our lives without any light and far away from the shore. We might feel that the Lord is not with us and is far away. But He is nearby, walking on the high waves to come to us to strengthen us with His presence, power and peace. The same Lord is with us even in our dark nights, giving us songs in the night, sleep and the peace that passes all understanding to enable us to hold firmly on Him to keep going.
Dear friend, are you going through a time without light on your way? Do you feel perplexed as to where to go and how to take the next step forward? Is fear gripping you and are you filled with anxiety? But there is no need for you to be afraid because the Lord who is the light is with you. He can see the pathway you are expected to tread and He is holding you in His hands and drawing you closer to Himself. All you need to do is to lean on to Him and put all your trust and cares on Him. When you are totally dependent on Him and trusting in His promises, you can take the steps of faith forward with courage and trust. Remember, even in the light He is the one who is leading you and you are not expected to lean on to your own understanding. If He is holding your hands, you cannot get lost on the way. If you are following Him by listening to His voice as your good Shepherd, you can go forward courageously. This is how Joshua walked, even when Moses was gone and light through him ceased to guide him. But even when Moses and Joshua are gone, Jesus would not go away. He is your leader, guide, friend, deliverer, rescue, way, light and truth. The God of David, Joseph and Daniel is with us. The God who led Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our God to lead us throughout our lives. His Spirit is indwelling in us to show us the way in the midst of utter darkness. The dark clouds in the horizon will soon move way in the mighty wind of the Lord and you will see the sun (Son) shining on you soon. Darkness and night only mean that the day will soon break and we will see the way forward. The present darkness is for the weary traveler to take rest so that we would recharge our spiritual batteries to keep going. The present darkness is the prelude to the new day that the Lord is making for you to rejoice in Him and keep going. So let us be encouraged today because we are leaning on the everlasting arms to take us forward.
Psalms 23:4 – Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. Thought for TodayEven during a time of temporary darkness that we are made to go through, we are safe in the Everlasting Arms which will take us forward.
