Singing in the dark

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely." - Psalm 59:16-17

You can only sing of God's strength if you have witnessed his saving power at some point. Even though King David was facing one of his sternest tests, he was able to boldly proclaim that he trusted in God to be his fortress and refuge.

Whatever you may be facing at the moment, remember God's great goodness in the past and then trust him for what lies in the future. 

I guess it is sometimes like singing in the dark. We don't sing because we can see all around us - we sing because of who lives inside of us. 

"I will sing of your love" (v.16)

Living in Grace

D3LM3 

Finding your way in the dark

 

Finding you way in the dark is not an easy exercise. 

When the lights go out due to unexpected power failures, load-shedding, or no money in the meter, then you have to resort to stumbling around in the dark. Of course the better you know your home, the easier it is to work out where you are and to make a plan. This reminds me of a lovely quote:

Alexander Maclaren, the 19th Century Scottich preacher said that, "Those who know the path to God, can find it in the dark."

When our lives are filled with sudden darkness, let us not lose hope but rather find our way back to the heart of God. Walk the well trodden path and know that God is still at Home.

Luke 15:20 -  “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming, and was filled with loving pity and ran and embraced him and kissed him."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Ten

Are you afraid of the dark?
The fear of darkness is called Nyctophobia and there are many people who struggle with this phobia. Night time, darkness, silence, fear - they all have their own combination of anxiety and unknowns, but it is often during these times that God speaks clearly to us.

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs." - Matthew 10:26-27

Jesus promises to speak to us in the dark and to whisper his words of Grace for us. During this Lent season may we learn to listen in the dark.

Os Guiness writes - "Jesus does not say we will never walk in the dark, but that we do not wander in the dark or have a way of life at home in darkness. To anyone not knowing the anguish of such a situation, the distinction may sound trivial—the darkness appears as dark and the dilemma as agonizing. But neither is ultimate, for the outcome lies with God.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Kept in the dark

 

If you could know everything about the future, would you be 'FREE' to live your best life or would you be more anxious? There are times when I wish I knew everything that was going to be waiting for me around each future corner, but then again, perhaps it would make me more afraid. 

Anyway, we are never going to know everything ahead of time and perhaps that is the best for all of us as we head into the New Year. This allows us to place our TRUST firmly into the hands of Christ.

“God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for himself the knowledge of them, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself and a continued readiness for every event.” - Matthew Henry

Isaiah 9:1 - [ Hope in the Messiah ] Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

Reflection: Being 'kept in the dark' about the future teaches us to place our entire TRUST in Jesus Christ. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3