We've looked at the ministry of darkness and how there will be times in our lives when we are walking with Jesus, trusting Him, actively worshipping and loving Him with all of our hearts when all of a sudden without any warning the lights go out. This spiritual eclipse takes place and darkness surrounds us and overtakes us. God has removed light from our life and we wonder what is going on.
God has a purpose.
Have you ever gotten serious with God, your prayers began to get answered, you hear the voice of God clearly, and it seems all is well in the world? Intimacy with God is wonderful, your zeal for God is growing, and you sense Him like never before? You have that feeling of 'Yea, THIS is so cool'! Then one day you wake up and darkness surrounds you and dryness and emptiness is all you can feel. You don't see God, you don't hear God, and for some weird reason there is this tidal wave of doubt in that if for a moment or two you are not even sure God is even real. Been there and done that! If we are honest, we all have doubted. It is simply par for the course in the life of fallen man who has trusted Christ. It just happens. Not because we are not really saved or we have lost salvation, but because we are flawed and messed up. Even though we are saved, we still possess the 'sin gene'. Not only do we have the propensity to sin, we are going to sin and at times struggle in our very own faith in God. Just because I am saved does not assure that I will be exempt from struggles in matters of faith. I believe the opposite. I will struggle in the area of faith because I am saved. Face it, it's just not normal to trust someone we have never seen. We will go through things and be faced with situations and decisions that will test us and challenge us and it will be in some of these times that we will doubt, even doubt that God exists. Jesus never said it was going to be easy! As a matter of fact, nowhere in Scripture do we find that it will be easy. On the contrary Scripture proves it over and over that it’s going to be hard and difficult and at times overwhelming, especially when we experience dark dry spells.
NOTICE DANIEL – In Daniel 10:8 we can see that Daniel was exhausted! He hit the wall! He had no strength left in him. Daniel was God’s man, a man of strength, a man of spiritual power and stamina. Not long after he had seen great visions from God he experienced a spiritual eclipse! Daniel found himself physically and emotionally exhausted! Ever been there? Verse 9 says that Daniel was so physically weak that he passed out. I’m convinced that many Christians are tired and exhausted because they are just too busy, yes too busy doing church stuff, going through man-made motions, and doing 'busy' stuff that they don’t have time for God. This wasn’t the case with Daniel, no indeed! Daniel was exhausted for He had been with God! He had spent time not in a deacon's meeting, not in a business meeting, not in a Sunday School class; he spent with God! I must wonder, who of us today have exhausted himself in fellowship with the Living God? Have we ever? Hmmm...
REMEMBER DAVID? – David, a man after God’s own heart. Killed Goliath when he was only a teenager! He later became a mighty warrior for God and ultimately the king of God’s people. Went from mountain top experiences with God to another! Experiencing victory after victory, blessing after blessing. Anointed with God’s power and authority to overcome and defeat all enemies and enjoy fellowship with God Himself and yet experienced times when he penned the words “My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.” My God can't we feel David's emptiness? His despair? His helplessness? It is obvious from just this one verse found in the Psalms that David experienced soul darkness! He felt as if God had abandoned him, had left him all alone and hopeless. Wow! God's great and mighty warrior, God's man, His #1 man went down! I think because we are so familiar with this story that we strip it of much of its meaning. David was broken and greatly depressed here. Here is this warrior who had stood up to a Philistine army, killed thousands, and commanded the strongest army in the world crying to God. Wow! I know that sure makes me feel better right off. His pleading was; "WHERE ARE YOU LORD? HEY! REMEMBER ME???" David couldn't find God anywhere! Darkness had surrounded him! He found himself in a dark pit looking for God!
HOW ABOUT JESUS ? Remember the darkness He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane? In His darkest hour on the cross Jesus Christ Himself cried out to the Father the exact words David voiced; "My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" Talk about make you think! Jesus, the Son of God, God in the flesh, experiencing soul darkness! Wow!
(I have to say it's when I read these stories that wonder about those Christians who seem to always have it together and never have such problems. I really wonder!)
But still I ask why? Many ask WHY??? Why must we experience soul darkness? Is there a purpose or something? You bet there is! Notice ...
ENGLISH PREACHER T. AUSTIN SPARKS experienced soul darkness after mountain top experiences with God. He said; “in order to go on to further stages of truth to further revelation, something has to happen to us. We go through new experiences of death, desolation, emptiness, hopelessness, in order to come into something further on and deeper in divine revelation. We thought we had come into the fullness of God’s thoughts. We thought we were really growing, seeing. Then everything is as though it is nothing… “My experience is that it is through such a history with God – a history of repeated desolation and emptiness, after wonderful unveilings and revelations – you are brought up out of that dry place again into something further on, greater revelations. And your vision is enlarged…”
Fellow Saints (Sinners who have been saved!) LISTEN UP AND LISTEN CLOSELY! IF you are seeking to follow the living God, I mean you are in this thing for the long haul, you WILL experience soul darkness! You WILL have dry spells! You WILL struggle in painful ways! Let me be clear ... SOUL DARKNESS is part of the journey! You’re not losing ground in these times! It's part of the Lord’s plan. Just press on and KNOW BY FAITH that God is with you! Keep on keepin' on and you will move toward higher ground, experience greater victories, and receive new revelation from God! Hang on brothers! Hang on sisters! God is preparing you for something GREATER! BIGGER! GRANDER!
Remember! IN the darkness, God IS WITH YOU! After Daniels time of darkness it says in Daniel 10:18; "Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me". There is a promise in this. Afterwards GOD WILL TOUCH YOU! We don't know how long the darkness is going to last, but once it has completed what God wants it to accomplish God will touch you!
SO ... Hang tough!!! Stay faithful! Don’t lose heart! STAY WITH GOD!
In the words of Paul in Galatians 6:9; Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
Don't give in, give up, or give out!
Showing posts with label Faith Walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith Walking. Show all posts
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Ministry of Darkness Part 1
By Scott Myers
Has there ever been a time in your life when you just felt darkness. I mean you're praying, you're living for God, you're trusting Him, you're giving of yourself to Him, you're worshipping Him, yet in all of that it’s like the lights are out. Please understand that I’m not talking about times in our lives when we do a piece of stupid and embrace sin. I’m talking about when you’re doing everything right. You’re walking by faith and from all you can tell, you’re right with God, yet it’s like a spiritual eclipse has taken place in your life. The light has gone and vast darkness has overcome you. Ever been there? I have! It’s like being in a pit. Well that’s what Isaiah is talking about in Isaiah 50:10-11.
"Who is among you that fears the LORD,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze.
This you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in torment."
This text seems to give us the picture of a believer going through the inevitable – soul darkness. For many of us it’s unexpected, and for most of us, we just don’t know how to handle it. When the lights go out in our spiritual walk we need to know what to do. Darkness is simply the absence of light!
When the lights go out on this lonely road of faith, I have 3 suggestions.
SUGGESTION #1 - Keep On Walking!
The logical thing to do when the lights go out in the physical realm is to stop!
To stop whatever it is we are doing until we can get the lights back on. Well, in the spiritual realm this is not the right thing to do. If you are a believer, you are a spiritual being. Keep in mind that our emotional needs, our mental needs, and our physical needs all are spiritual needs! So then, what are you to do when darkness falls upon you? When light is withdrawn from your life? First of all, keep walking!!! Keep walking the walk of faith! Keep living for God! Keep doing that which you know is right! It’s so important that we not forsake our faith just because darkness befalls us. You see as a follower of JC we are on a grand journey and the basic need for this journey is 'faith'! It's trust! It's trusting God EVEN in darkness. The lonely road of faith we are called to walk on by God actually implies we walk on in faith in spite of the darkness that surrounds us! We are to keep praying, keep trusting, keep seeking and keep living for Jesus! We must keep the faith and just press on moving forward step by step in faith! Don’t stop! Don’t quit!
SUGGESTION #2 - Do NOT Create Your Own Light!
Secondly, when the lights go out DON’T LIGHT YOUR OWN FIRE!!!
Our natural desire will be to create some light ourselves that will substitute for the light of God. Remember, Remember, Remember, God’s light has been withdrawn. For whatever reason, God has done this! He has withdrawn His light and we should never, never, never attempt to replace it with our own light! Very big mistake if we do! Unfortunately many of us here try to do this. We try to light our own fire to take the place of the light God has taken away. Many reason we shouldn’t light our own fire!
Soul Darkness is Ordained of God!
Darkness is the absence of light; therefore, if there is a darkness that has come upon your life as you walk with Jesus, it is simply because God has withdrawn that light for a purpose. To make any man-made light will be to frustrate the purpose of God in your life and actually thwart whatever it is God is seeking to do in your heart. Think about this. Do you realize that night time is just as much a part of the day as the light is? God created the light and He also created the night! Just like darkness of night has a purpose, there is a purpose for soul darkness! I find it so remarkable that there are some things that you just can’t see except in the darkness! The moon, the stars! Meteor showers! Great lightning shows.! Passing comets! Only when it is dark can you see these beautiful creations of God! Soul Darkness is ordained of God and there is always a purpose for it. I believe that it’s during these times God wants us to see truths about ourselves and also truths about Himself in big ways, like a comet flying in the night sky! Maybe He wants us to see our faith and how strong it really is, or how it’s not, or maybe how faithful He is. Maybe He wants us to see something about ourselves that we can’t see when the light shines brightly!
Another reason we should not light our own fire;
Man-made light is Defective & Dangerous!
Abraham tried to make his own light and Ishmael was born. We are still paying for that attempt! Simon Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane attempted to light his own light and cut off Malchus’ ear. Our attempt to make light is a sure defeat, a mistake, a failure on all levels! Whether it’s church or just life, when we attempt to do it on our own, we mess up and we miss God! Our man-made attempts to fulfill the purpose of God are defective and dangerous and will never get it done!
SUGGESTION #3 - Lean On Jesus!
The passage said 'let him trust the Lord and lean on His God'! This isn’t a deep concept, but it really is a powerful one to say the least! Lean on Jesus! I do not mean to be simple, but it really is that simple. Trust He’s there; believe He's there with you and lean on Him! You see, God sends the darkness in our lives so that we might discover that even though the light is good, there is something even better than the light – Jesus! Even though the light may be gone from your life, God isn't! Jesus is always there! He’s always right there with you! Just reach out and take hold of Him! EVEN when you don't feel Him!
Soul Darkness will come at times in our lives and it's so important that we understand that it's during these times that there is something very important God wants to teach us. Or just maybe He wants us to enjoy Him instead of the light.
Has there ever been a time in your life when you just felt darkness. I mean you're praying, you're living for God, you're trusting Him, you're giving of yourself to Him, you're worshipping Him, yet in all of that it’s like the lights are out. Please understand that I’m not talking about times in our lives when we do a piece of stupid and embrace sin. I’m talking about when you’re doing everything right. You’re walking by faith and from all you can tell, you’re right with God, yet it’s like a spiritual eclipse has taken place in your life. The light has gone and vast darkness has overcome you. Ever been there? I have! It’s like being in a pit. Well that’s what Isaiah is talking about in Isaiah 50:10-11.
"Who is among you that fears the LORD,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze.
This you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in torment."
This text seems to give us the picture of a believer going through the inevitable – soul darkness. For many of us it’s unexpected, and for most of us, we just don’t know how to handle it. When the lights go out in our spiritual walk we need to know what to do. Darkness is simply the absence of light!
When the lights go out on this lonely road of faith, I have 3 suggestions.
SUGGESTION #1 - Keep On Walking!
The logical thing to do when the lights go out in the physical realm is to stop!
To stop whatever it is we are doing until we can get the lights back on. Well, in the spiritual realm this is not the right thing to do. If you are a believer, you are a spiritual being. Keep in mind that our emotional needs, our mental needs, and our physical needs all are spiritual needs! So then, what are you to do when darkness falls upon you? When light is withdrawn from your life? First of all, keep walking!!! Keep walking the walk of faith! Keep living for God! Keep doing that which you know is right! It’s so important that we not forsake our faith just because darkness befalls us. You see as a follower of JC we are on a grand journey and the basic need for this journey is 'faith'! It's trust! It's trusting God EVEN in darkness. The lonely road of faith we are called to walk on by God actually implies we walk on in faith in spite of the darkness that surrounds us! We are to keep praying, keep trusting, keep seeking and keep living for Jesus! We must keep the faith and just press on moving forward step by step in faith! Don’t stop! Don’t quit!
SUGGESTION #2 - Do NOT Create Your Own Light!
Secondly, when the lights go out DON’T LIGHT YOUR OWN FIRE!!!
Our natural desire will be to create some light ourselves that will substitute for the light of God. Remember, Remember, Remember, God’s light has been withdrawn. For whatever reason, God has done this! He has withdrawn His light and we should never, never, never attempt to replace it with our own light! Very big mistake if we do! Unfortunately many of us here try to do this. We try to light our own fire to take the place of the light God has taken away. Many reason we shouldn’t light our own fire!
Soul Darkness is Ordained of God!
Darkness is the absence of light; therefore, if there is a darkness that has come upon your life as you walk with Jesus, it is simply because God has withdrawn that light for a purpose. To make any man-made light will be to frustrate the purpose of God in your life and actually thwart whatever it is God is seeking to do in your heart. Think about this. Do you realize that night time is just as much a part of the day as the light is? God created the light and He also created the night! Just like darkness of night has a purpose, there is a purpose for soul darkness! I find it so remarkable that there are some things that you just can’t see except in the darkness! The moon, the stars! Meteor showers! Great lightning shows.! Passing comets! Only when it is dark can you see these beautiful creations of God! Soul Darkness is ordained of God and there is always a purpose for it. I believe that it’s during these times God wants us to see truths about ourselves and also truths about Himself in big ways, like a comet flying in the night sky! Maybe He wants us to see our faith and how strong it really is, or how it’s not, or maybe how faithful He is. Maybe He wants us to see something about ourselves that we can’t see when the light shines brightly!
Another reason we should not light our own fire;
Man-made light is Defective & Dangerous!
Abraham tried to make his own light and Ishmael was born. We are still paying for that attempt! Simon Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane attempted to light his own light and cut off Malchus’ ear. Our attempt to make light is a sure defeat, a mistake, a failure on all levels! Whether it’s church or just life, when we attempt to do it on our own, we mess up and we miss God! Our man-made attempts to fulfill the purpose of God are defective and dangerous and will never get it done!
SUGGESTION #3 - Lean On Jesus!
The passage said 'let him trust the Lord and lean on His God'! This isn’t a deep concept, but it really is a powerful one to say the least! Lean on Jesus! I do not mean to be simple, but it really is that simple. Trust He’s there; believe He's there with you and lean on Him! You see, God sends the darkness in our lives so that we might discover that even though the light is good, there is something even better than the light – Jesus! Even though the light may be gone from your life, God isn't! Jesus is always there! He’s always right there with you! Just reach out and take hold of Him! EVEN when you don't feel Him!
Soul Darkness will come at times in our lives and it's so important that we understand that it's during these times that there is something very important God wants to teach us. Or just maybe He wants us to enjoy Him instead of the light.
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