Romans 13:12 – The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Night is not an end in itself. The night tells us that it will soon be over and the day will break. Darkness debilitates us and makes us fearful. It prevents us from seeing ahead. When our hearts are burdensome and when we do not know what to expect from the upcoming day, it is likely that an array of fierce thoughts loom large before us. In such moments of uncertainty and desperation we are led forward by the hope of a new day that is coming. Night is not for us to do things that are not right. Night is not for us to have a false sense of safety and security. Night is not for us to hide from people, situations and circumstances which we abhor and resent. But the dark night is a time for us to rest and relax and to evaluate our deeds of the previous day and praise God for all His blessings. It is a time to submit the upcoming day to the Lord and to prepare ourselves for the challenges it will bring. It is a time to spend a few quiet moments in the presence of the Lord and submit ourselves for another day by faith. It is a time of expectations and hope. It is a time of quiet meditation and prayer to the Lord for our inner anguishes. When all living beings sleep, our heavenly Father keeps watch over us. Many of His plans for us work behind the scene while we sleep. Sadly many think and plan dubious things in the darkest nights. Their minds are boggled with subtle schemes and they cook up smart ideas to be implemented for their temporary gains. But for a child of God, darkest nights are times to enjoy the brightest light of God shining in their hearts.
Dear reader, are you going through a time of darkness and night in your life? Are you groping for direction to go forward in your endeavors? Do you feel that you have lost the way and have no place to go? But you must remember that your Lord is with you in the darkest nights of your life to prepare you and your situations for a new day which is about to dawn. When His time comes, He will lift up the curtain of darkness and shed bright light into all your affairs. So there is no need for you to be in anguish about the present uncertainties and lack of clarity in your life. Right now He is preparing you for greater service. Perhaps you are going through a dark, damp and cold valley in your life and are unable to see the end of the tunnel. But you should be able to trust the Lord because it is He who is leading you through the dark valley. His holy presence is with you in the tunnel. Splendid things are lined up for you to handle for God’s glory. It is your privilege today to walk with the Lord in the darkest valley of life and learn how to move forward by faith each step of the way. It is a great blessing not to know the next step, but trust God to give you the grace to take that step forward. Let us not curse the darkness or be afraid of it. It was in the darkness that Abraham received the covenant from God. It was in the dark night in a strange land that Jacob saw the vision about the ladder from heaven. Some of the thrilling psalms of David came out of his experiences in dark caves. Mary Magdalene was able to see the risen Lord in the garden while it was still dark. Paul received reassurances from the Lord in the darkest of nights in dungeons. The angel of the Lord came to release Peter in the night. The same Lord is with you in your present experience in the night. You will soon see a new morning with bright rays of hope and expectations.
Psalms 91:5 – You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that strikes in the darkness nor the plague that destroys at midday. Thought for Today God prepares us in the darkest of nights for the brightest of days dawning before us.
