“Tell me what charges You have against me…”
Job 10:2
Hard times have a way of getting our attention, and this old world is going through a very dark time. It becomes tempting to want to blame our hard times on somebody…something….often, questioning God Himself.
A good man named Job was going through an extremely dark time. He had experienced sudden, tragic losses on many levels. Life as he had known it had taken a serious nose-dive. It was too much for him to understand. With the input of his “friends” he had concluded that he was being punished somehow…punished by God. In desperation, Job asked God directly what he had done to deserve the devastating losses in his life. What had he done that was so wrong?? God was silent. However, his “friends” had much to say, and it wasn’t good.
But being in the dark isn’t all bad. It does have its moments:
- Fireflies (Do they only come out at night? Or do they only become visible in the dark?)
- Stars (they are always up there . . . we just don’t see them unless it’s dark!)
- Campfires still burn with warm glow and sparks in daylight. We just don’t see it with all its mezmerizing colors, brightness and sparkle unless it’s dark.
Much of the world has had life as we’ve known it dramatically altered. It feels like a dark time. In the midst of a pandemic that has affected the whole world, hearts and minds around the globe have been shaken, forced to re-evaluate our lives and consider what really matters.
Life on this planet is not kind. But God is. In His Goodness, He will use the bad things…tough things of life….and turn them around for Good when we hold onto Him. He did that with old Job. He has done that in my life, too. In God’s Hands, the bad times…the dark times, will be used for good. He has done that in the past, and I know He will do it in the future.
When I am in the desert…in the refugee camps…the nights become the backdrop for the most incredible light shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Though the situation is wrought with tragedy, loss, heartache, and long-standing injustice, every night the vast black sky becomes the backdrop for a celestial “light show” like none other. It takes effort to fall asleep, because the moving display lasts all night. My heart can hear Him reminding me that He is Present, He sees me, and nothing going on in my life is beyond Him. I don’t have to understand it. . . if I just keep looking up, He is there. He’s “got this.”
So in the dark nights, watch for the fireflies. Look at the stars. Take in the moon’s light. Visibly shining only while you are in the darkness, these are God’s everyday, global reminders that He is there. He repeats that message to the whole earth in 24 hours, every day. Those glimpses of His Light…perhaps in very unexpected moments, are to remind you that He is there. He is the Light.
desertspring.blog 