LIGHT AFTER DARKNESS - Perhaps you are going through dark times, even as I have been for many months, with still no end in sight. May your mind be renewed and the joy of your salvation be restored as you ponder Spurgeon's query: "Why should we dread to descend into the dark shaft of affliction, if it leads us to the gold mine of bright spiritual experience? Why should we cry out if the sun of our prosperity goes down, and yet in the darkness of our adversity we are better able to count the starry promises with which the Faithful God has been pleased to gem the sky? Many of His promises are written in 'invisible ink,' which we cannot read till the fire of trouble brings out the characters."
Indeed, "It was good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes." (Ps 119:71+)
May the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world (Php 1:19+, Jn 8:12+), shine His Word of Life (1Jn 1:1+) into our hearts, reminding us of the truth that in our times of darkness, when we are suffering "multicolored" trials, we can still "greatly rejoice" as we recall to mind that the dark times "have come so that our faith, of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed, for indeed, momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. God knows the way we take, and when He has tried us, we shall come forth as pure gold, for the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full day, (that glorious day) when He appears, and we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He is." (1Pe 1:6-7+, 2Cor 4:17+, Job 23:10+, Pr 4:18+, 1Jn 3:2+).
Great Father of lights, Giver of every good and perfect gift, although You "send the darkness, and it becomes night, You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning. You turn my darkness into light." (James 1:17+, Ps 104:20+, Ps 18:28+)
Dear Father, "let us see Your hand in the veiling of the sun, and never fear either natural or providential darkness, since both are of Your own making" and for our great good. (C H Spurgeon) Amen
In the darkness of night,
Jesus is our steadfast Light.
As you play the beautiful piano rendition of Francis Havergal's "Light Out of Darkness" and consider each accompanying image, may God's Spirit enable you to see each of the Father's promises as personally given to you…
LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS
Light after darkness, gain after loss,
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears,
Home after wandering, praise after tears.
Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain,
Sight after mystery, peace after pain;
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast,
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last.
Near after distant, gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, life after tomb;
After long agony, rapture of bliss,
Right was the pathway, leading to this.