* “I DO MY GREATEST WORKS IN THE DARK.”

(A Fresh Word by Al Thomas)

“And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” Exodus 20:21

* I heard this as I was in prayer for requests I receive almost daily. Too often (when dark times come) we assume that is it Satan hindering, attacking or blocking the blessings of God. It is not always so. Observe:

1. GOD SOMETIMES ALLOWS THE DARK FOR A GREATER LIGHT TO COME FORTH

Before Jesus died it became dark, “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:45). This was an extraordinary phenomenon when you realize that the Greek epi pasan ten gen (over all the land) literally means over all the earth. The entire globe was in darkness - as if it was shocked at what was taking place, seemingly to bow down in shame…knowing its very Creator was being put to death by His highest creation. The sun went backward in Hezekiah’s time (2 Kings 20: 8-11) and the sun stood still for Joshua to win the battle (Joshua 10: 12-14). The point here (for you and I) is that God can move on our part in light or darkness. If you find yourself in a place where you cannot see where you are going, rest assured that He does know (Ps. 139: 1-4) and not only will He bring you through the dark you will be the better for it. Trust that He is madly, passionately in love with you (1 John 4:8; 1 John 3:1). Yes, the crucifixion was the darkest moment in history, yet was followed by the greatest (resurrection) burst of Light the world has ever known. In like manner when the Lord moves in your predicament (and He will) it will be so glorious you will forget the darkness and rejoice at your deliverance into His light. Hard as it is to believe now, one day you’ll thank Him for that dark time - even as we thank God for the death of Jesus. He is the God of the darkness and the light (Amos 5: 8). He is in control of everything… Don’t waste your tears, praise Him in the dark and the light. He is good.

2. IN YOUR DARKEST DAYS HE IS DOING HIS DEEPEST WORK

The apostle John wrote, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). We are com-manded to ‘walk in the light’ (1 John 1:7). Yet, here is the paradox, “…Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:21). It is significant that “the people stood afar off” and they left one man (Moses) to travel all alone. Moses knew behind that darkness God dwelled. Can you see behind the darkness? David wrote, “If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” (Ps. 139: 11-12). God is not afraid of the dark and neither should we be...because of what Jesus did! Whenever there is darkness about us (not sin) God is doing a deep work in us. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the prince of darkness and then returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14) to heal, teach and deliver others. We often learn more, gain greater revelation, etc. when we come through the darkness. “Let the night teach us what we are, and the day what we should be” THOMAS TRYON 1691. Darkness shows what we are: Children of the light and bearers of that Light. We all have dark nights of the soul. St. John of the Cross wrote a book on the subject. One of the things he emphasized was “Often, the dark night occurs after seeking for more of Him. Sometimes there is a lengthy and profound absence of light and hope. In the dark night you feel profoundly alone.” Too often we give up when things are dark, just when God is ready to reveal Himself. That is when you need to hold on.

3. DO NOT RESIST THE DARKNESS; HOLD YOUR GROUND, PRESS FORWARD

If you are praying, reading the Bible, etc. and still the darkness hovers, rejoice, God is refining (Mal. 3:3) and preparing you for a greater anointing to further His Kingdom. Darkness is akin to pruning (John 15:2). God prunes those who are bearing fruit, so we can expect sharp snips when we are doing well. Paul was thrown down (Acts 9:4) and his eyes darkened so he would not be a soul in hell but a saint in heaven and a vessel on earth that would lead many into God’s light. If you feel darkness around you (not sin), keep pressing on, the light will soon burst forth and the scales fall off (Acts 9:18). Satan is called the Prince of Darkness and his evil works should be avoided at all costs, but God’s darkness (unlike the Devil’s) is designed to bring us into greater light and should not be fought or resisted. In 2 Samuel 22: 10 & 14 we read, “He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under His feet... And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, dark waters, and thick clouds of skies.” Sometimes we think we know what God is doing in our lives when often we really know nothing at all. God says to you: “Keep pressing on (Phil. 3:12); looking up (Luke 21:28) and trusting Me (2 Cor. 5:17), because in spite of what looks like darkness, My light is about to come.”

“I will give you treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by name” (Isaiah 45:3)