abide with me! fast falls the eventide
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
Isaiah 58 vs. 12b
There is something that God is saying to me over and over, that He is making me live out. I know it is Him because whenever I pray for someone else in their point of need and tell them what I'm hearing, tears come to their eyes and it's as relief is spoken. Truth is revealed.
He keeps saying to me, "Trust me in the dark for what I have promised in the Light."
So many of us find ourselves on the edge of the woods, our little candle in hand, our little faith flickering bright. As we go down a narrow path, the moonlight becomes less as the woods deepen, the roof of branches thickens. Some of us go down a path we are sure is right, it feels so right, and we get trapped. Others of us trudge on, on our own, but as it gets darker - and it does get darker - we panic, we lose our footing, we question our direction, we fall. The light goes out. God, are you here with us?
Oh, we want to be brave, to have great faith. But night lasts longer in the dark, it's lonely in the dark, and all we want is to get out. We aren't thinking about how it's done, or what it is you are wanting us to see in the dark.
And You speak to us, "Trust me in the dark for what I have promised in the Light."
We tell him we can't. It's too dark. It's too lonely. No one is here. Even my candle of my faith has gone. Where is the warm glow of Your fire that I first knew, that would let me go anywhere in the dark? The one that made me feel invincible? Unstoppable?
We get angry, we don't want to be here. Maybe we came for someone else in the dark. We don't want to go look for them. We question whether being in the dark was really where You led us. We can't feel you, so we question you. We are desperate to get out.
And You speak again. "Trust me in the dark for what I have promised in the Light."
We try to reason with You. We say it is too long we have been in the dark. We cry believing no one is hearing. But you hear every weak cry, see every tear fall. You gaze upon us and you gaze upon those who don't yet know you. You hear their cries. The ones who never even had the candle in the first place. Maybe You are not going to let us out of the dark without them.
Beloved, quiet your heart, quiet your soul. Listen to Him. Trust Him. Listen for His heartbeat in the night. It is only going to get darker, but HE is the Light! Night is coming. I see the trace shadows announcing night hovering about my children yet I know they are covered in the blood of Jesus. What about the children who aren't covered in His blood? Beloved how can you lead the others in the dark if you can't trust Him blindly there yourself? My God, would you help us.
You need to do this. The fight is His, but you need to obey. You need to trust. Strengthen yourself in the Lord. Call upon His name.
"Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say,
'Here I am.'
Isaiah 58, vs.9
Call upon His name. He is here. He has never left you! You will remain in the darkness until He has built in you what He wants. You asked Him to use you more, you asked for more of Him. Trust Him with your cares, trust Him with your wounds, trust Him with your weakness. Your desolation.
As His hand closes around yours, fall at his feet, hold tightly to the hem of His garment and ask for more faith. Don't let go of the Shepherd, the only Jesus Christ. Ask Him to show you how to trust in the dark. You need to do this. You need to know how to walk in the dark carrying the promises of the Light.
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Isaiah 58, vs. 8
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
Isaiah 58 vs. 12b
There is something that God is saying to me over and over, that He is making me live out. I know it is Him because whenever I pray for someone else in their point of need and tell them what I'm hearing, tears come to their eyes and it's as relief is spoken. Truth is revealed.
He keeps saying to me, "Trust me in the dark for what I have promised in the Light."
So many of us find ourselves on the edge of the woods, our little candle in hand, our little faith flickering bright. As we go down a narrow path, the moonlight becomes less as the woods deepen, the roof of branches thickens. Some of us go down a path we are sure is right, it feels so right, and we get trapped. Others of us trudge on, on our own, but as it gets darker - and it does get darker - we panic, we lose our footing, we question our direction, we fall. The light goes out. God, are you here with us?
Oh, we want to be brave, to have great faith. But night lasts longer in the dark, it's lonely in the dark, and all we want is to get out. We aren't thinking about how it's done, or what it is you are wanting us to see in the dark.
And You speak to us, "Trust me in the dark for what I have promised in the Light."
We tell him we can't. It's too dark. It's too lonely. No one is here. Even my candle of my faith has gone. Where is the warm glow of Your fire that I first knew, that would let me go anywhere in the dark? The one that made me feel invincible? Unstoppable?
We get angry, we don't want to be here. Maybe we came for someone else in the dark. We don't want to go look for them. We question whether being in the dark was really where You led us. We can't feel you, so we question you. We are desperate to get out.
And You speak again. "Trust me in the dark for what I have promised in the Light."
We try to reason with You. We say it is too long we have been in the dark. We cry believing no one is hearing. But you hear every weak cry, see every tear fall. You gaze upon us and you gaze upon those who don't yet know you. You hear their cries. The ones who never even had the candle in the first place. Maybe You are not going to let us out of the dark without them.
Beloved, quiet your heart, quiet your soul. Listen to Him. Trust Him. Listen for His heartbeat in the night. It is only going to get darker, but HE is the Light! Night is coming. I see the trace shadows announcing night hovering about my children yet I know they are covered in the blood of Jesus. What about the children who aren't covered in His blood? Beloved how can you lead the others in the dark if you can't trust Him blindly there yourself? My God, would you help us.
You need to do this. The fight is His, but you need to obey. You need to trust. Strengthen yourself in the Lord. Call upon His name.
"Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say,
'Here I am.'
Isaiah 58, vs.9
Call upon His name. He is here. He has never left you! You will remain in the darkness until He has built in you what He wants. You asked Him to use you more, you asked for more of Him. Trust Him with your cares, trust Him with your wounds, trust Him with your weakness. Your desolation.
As His hand closes around yours, fall at his feet, hold tightly to the hem of His garment and ask for more faith. Don't let go of the Shepherd, the only Jesus Christ. Ask Him to show you how to trust in the dark. You need to do this. You need to know how to walk in the dark carrying the promises of the Light.
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Isaiah 58, vs. 8