How do you react when the lights go out?
Sometimes I stomp my feet and scream and cry. Sometimes I get on my knees and beg and plead…but what happens when we cry out and He doesn’t answer?
Nothing. Silence.
Maybe it’s the enemy! I pray some more, with more boldness this time. Still nothing.
Darkness.
About this time panic rises and I reach for the comfort of my tattered garment…I try to start a fire so I can see in the dark.
But maybe sometimes God turns out the lights. What do we do then? Most of the time we try to hide our struggles and sins and we keep them secret, thinking we can overcome them on our own. We can’t overcome anything in our own strength!
What is your motivation for being a Christian?
Do we follow Him because He does good things for us? Yes, in part, that is true – He does do good things for us. What do we do when God turns the lights out? Everything is tested, but we know we are not alone. It takes courage to walk through darkness. If darkness hasn’t come into your Christian walk, be assured, it’s coming. He says we will suffer trials, and we’re to consider it pure joy (James 1:2 ) Darkness tests our conviction. This is when you need to be able to draw from the well of The Word and hold onto your beliefs. This is when we find out if we’re holding conviction or if conviction is holding us. It’s easy to believe in Divine Healing when you’re not sick but something entirely different when you are in the midst of it. We can avoid the fiery darts when all is well but when we’re scared or hurting we can be very tempted to compromise. It’s those times that we have to guard our hearts and be sure we don’t give away our most precious possessions. Darkness can even test our calling. “Why am I doing this? I’m jus a girl from Boonsville. What can I do from here?“ Jesus wants you to find out, and know without a doubt, why you are serving Him. He knows…but do you?
Learn to doubt your doubts.
He wants to put a greater substance in our lives to grow us. James 1:2-5 In Isaiah 50:10, the key is that they walk…they choose to keep moving forward. If we stand still, we’re going no where. It’s true that we don’t fail by taking a risk, but we don’t succeed either, nor do move forward or grow. When we come into darkness, we can either fight it or embrace it, trusting the God you know! James 5:16 says we’re to CONFESS our sins to one another, share our struggles with a trusted friend who we know will lift us in prayer. We need to bring our struggles out into the light. This is when sin loses its power over us. Sin can’t stand the light!
When the lights go out we become broken. The world tries to avoid pain at all costs but this is the time to embrace it! This is not a natural response and we have to train ourselves to do this. It becomes a tool God uses to grow us, to deepen our faith and strengthen our prayer lives.
How many of us have felt passion in the depth of prayer when we’re on the mountain top?
Most of us experience the most intimacy in the desperation of darkness. This season reminds us what it is to be broken and lost and it gives us a heart for the lost and wounded.
We can start our own fires and fight what God’s trying to do but if we do that it could be a 40 year journey rather than the 11 days that God intended.
So back to the question,
What do we do when God turns out the lights?
We walk.
We bring the light into the darkness and get into the Word. We praise. We pray and we trust in the name of the Lord!
I haven’t gotten it all figured out. I am just one girl in Boonsville. But I’ve got the King of Kings beside me, behind me and in front of me!
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me!
Great post and so true. Hello, my friend.
Dear friend, how wonderful to see you again…how I’ve missed you! Thanks for dropping by!
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