REMAIN DILIGENT IN THE DARK

You know what’s comforting to think about, considering the way so many of us eventually walk through a dark night of the soul? God tends to do some of His best work in the dark. Just as there is a purpose for sunlight to grow and sustain life, God intentionally created the night. Some things can only be brought to life in the dark and the unseen moments. Think of seeds when they’re planted deep beneath the earth’s surface, or a baby forming in its mother’s womb, or even a photograph that needs to be developed in a room devoid of light.

I (Cass) was recently at a backyard birthday party where the backyard was like a wild and majestic garden, filled with all kinds of plants and crawling creatures. I’m fairly certain the family hosting the party were homesteaders, raising their own animals and growing their own vegetables to eat. I stumbled up to a plant that resembled a large white pepper from a distance, but the closer I got, the more I began to wonder what it was. It was a closed moonflower, a plant that blooms only after the sun has set. It releases a beautiful aroma into the evening air and has a spiky sharp circular seed pod that hardens and eventually falls off the plant to begin its life cycle again. Eventually, that unattractive and possibly dangerous pod will find itself beneath the surface, bursting forth through the soil to become a new moonflower.

This is what we are also called to do as Christians pursuing obedience to God’s call. We are to remain diligent in the dark, in the times when things feel hard or unclear or when we feel unseen. No matter the difficulty and uncertainty you might be walking through, God is at work within and through you. Don’t let spiritual setbacks hold you back from taking spirit-led risks and honoring God in everything you do. The all-surpassing power of God dwells within you (yes, you), and His power is made evident through you. What a relief it is to know that our goodness doesn’t qualify us to be used for His righteousness. Matter of fact, it’s the opposite.

You might not feel like you have what it takes to be used by God. Sister, nothing could be further from the truth. All you need is what you have in hand, a willing heart, and Christ within you.

Prayer

God, I give You my willing heart. Please use me to do Your work. Amen.