Treasures in Darkness
"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 God of Israel, the God who calls you by name'" (Isaiah 45:3).
The world is full of treasures that are buried or hidden until it is discovered! When we face loss, pain and disappointment, God desires that we find the valuable lessons hidden in our times of affliction. It is all very well when our days are full of sunshine and the blessings of God are so evident. But the treasures in times of affliction are not easy to see. Our hearts must have eyes to seek Him in the darkness of our suffering - and trust that He will get us through. And the lessons that we learn reveals the true nature of God - and these are the treasures God had hidden for us in the difficult season he allowed us to walk through. God desires that we share these treasures,or make them visible for others to see. Like today -
'Treasure-moment' Today, I prayed with a Grandmother who is the fulltime caregiver of her three grandchildren. The children's mother is unwell and unable to look after the children. Now, that's a huge responsibility for Grandmother, considering she is approaching retirement age. She told me she was feeling stressed out, angry, anxious, guilty and inadequate. She also told me she had given up a job she had for years to be a fulltime caregiver.
When it's God's timing, He gives just the right words to say! My testimony was brief - of my experiences with 'hope', 'faith' and 'love'. As I prayed, she cried, and cried as though she was in a lot of pain. She acknowledged her need for God and admitted she had been living away from God for some time. Thinking back to that exact moment as I prayed for her, it was like - light entered into the darkness and found where her grief was. She renewed her relationship with God! Her face lit up with a beautiful smile that transformed her face. She shared a bit of her childhood... of an unhappy first marriage, of family values lost somewhere through the years. She talked of the love she had for her grandchildren.
When we respond to the needs of others who are walking through similar paths we've come through, we can draw others to Christ by spreading the sweet aroma of his love, mercy and forgiveness through our own stories and experiences.
PRAISE GOD - Jesus is our Treasure in Darkness, our hope for all eternity!
Wow!!! that is so powerful Lome!!
ReplyDeleteGod's time is always perfect and never late to come through that tunnel of darkness!!
Praise God!!!
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Hey Sui,it's always a blessing to hear from you. God will always use our willingness! There are so many hurting people out there in our community, starving to hear the message of Hope that we carry! Praise Him for He is faithful!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Lome on your new blogg, wow, you rock, now we can read about your many adventures during your day as a social worker and personal ministries, and see/hear what God is doing through you. Thank you for being such a spiritual encouragement to all of us, and especially your love for prayer, that stirs us in our faith to do the same. Looking fwd to reading more your insights,God bless the new blogg, its a new season, new level of influence, new blessings in GOd. May many people find the treasures through these writings in times of difficulty and darkness. Love, Ane Ponifasio
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement too! We cannot keep to ourselves the wonderful things that God has done through us. Treasures in Darkness - bloggs is, one way God can get glory out of our lives! Blessings!
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