Night Time Experiences Part 1
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalms 30:5
The earth is continually revolving, which means when it’s light in one hemisphere, it’s dark in another. While one person is experiencing midnight, another is rejoicing because daybreak has finally come for them. Both people live on the same planet, but they’re in very different places. So when you’re having a night-time experience, if you can just hold on a little longer, things will change. God guarantees it. The same way you rotated into the darkness, you will rotate out of it again. God works the night shift, and He will turn your darkness into light if you just keep trusting Him.
Notice: certain significant events in the Bible happened at night. For example, while Adam was sleeping, God reached in, performed surgery, and made Eve. At midnight, while the other prisoners slept, Paul and Silas sang praises to God and He delivered them. When Peter was locked in the inner prison, at midnight God sent an angel to liberate him. When Jesus was crucified, the earth was plunged into darkness, but on Easter morning the light came on – forever.
You have to expect some night-time experiences; it comes with the territory. God’s ‘darkroom’ is where He develops you into the image of Christ. Enduring is what gives you the credentials to walk out into the daylight, having earned the right to be there. This kind of faith is tenacious, radical, and relentless. When it’s backed into a corner, it stands its ground and declares, ‘I’ve lost my job, my mortgage is overdue, my symptoms don’t look too good, but I still believe God.’ That kind of faith gets results every time!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me always remember that when I am in darkness – You are developing me for the light. Thank You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen
ITTT
Thank you Tim for a superb reflection.
The Earth is also evolving, in a constant state of evolution – always changing, every day
different – as we should be as human beings = growing, changing,
opening our hearts more deeply every day. Jesus words “Behold I make all things new.” is a word for all time.
Question for church folk – how can we realize, appreciate, (behold) the new if we are hanging
on to the old. It’s like Tevye sings in
Fidlar On The Roof ‘TRADITION’. It infuriated him when his daughters wanted to grow and change – and well yes – evolve.
I love how the Bible speaks to the light and how joy comes in the morning.. but there’s no joy in learning that a loved one , too young to die is going to leave your life! Yes, we still believe in God but we hardly know what joy will ever return to fullness with a pain of loss? Especially untimely deaths!