Treasures of Darkness

Dear Friends,

"Treasures of Darkness" may seem like  a contradiction in itself, but this is actually what God promises us.

God gave me some real encouragement one morning during my quiet time with him, just at the time I needed it most, and it's this that I want to share with you today.

In Isaiah 45:3 we read "And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches.  I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name." (NLT)

Many of us will, at one time or another, go through an experience of "darkness"; an intense time both in the length and depth of the suffering or trial.  It may be a time of chronic illness, financial difficulty, unemployment, a relationship breakdown, depression etc.  Whatever it is, it's a time when you feel you are very much on your own, no-one is able to fully understand and all around is that heavy darkness where you can't see any way out or any improvement, and in fact the situation just seems to get worse.  Maybe in the beginning friends and family supported you, you leaned on and received comfort from them, and you drew from their faith in God.  But over time they have drifted away, caught up in the busyness of their own lives and commitments, or they have just unintentionally forgotten that you are still struggling in a trial.

God has treasures that he wants to bless us with in the midst of these particularly dark times.  Just what are these treasures?  They are divine blessings stored up for us in secret places, the secret place of the trial which no-one else enters into apart from the one experiencing the trial, and it is the treasure of really 'knowing' God as Lord.  Our relationship goes from one where we know him to some extent and have experienced him in our life to one of real intimacy and friendship where we can share everything with God and really develop our relationship with him.  Wow!  What an eternal treasure and blessing - to have an intimate relationship with our Lord.

It's also in these dark times that we experience the treasure of learning to really lean on God and trust him completely.  He is the only one who is always there for us, he is always reliable, and he loves us unconditionally.

Consider the example of Job.  He was a godly man who suffered greatly.  But at the end of it he was able to say "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Job 42:5 (NLT).  He too experienced the "treasures of darkness"; going from one level in his relationship with God to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.

Another treasure is that God calls us by name.  He knows us so intimately that he uses our name when he speaks to us.  In Old Testament times names were so important because they were an indication of a person's character and nature.  God knows me and you as individuals, he knows what I'm like, my character and nature, and yet he still wants an intimate relationship with me and with you.

It makes it easier to bear the trial when you realise that there are "treasures of darkness" that God wants to bless you with.  No-one would choose to put themselves through unnecessary suffering, but knowing the eternal blessings that are available to me from God's hands, that he desires an intimate relationship with me, means that I would rather go through a trial trusting God and his sovereignty than escape it and miss out on the treasures of darkness he has stored for me in secret places.

To Think About:
Have you discovered the "treasures of darkness" that God has stored up for you in the secret place?

What treasures has he given you?

Has God become more real to you in the midst of the darkness?

You may like to read the account of Job in the book of Job.

Vicki

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