Treasures of the darkness

The Word is very much alive, and it is very active. Every time God proves this true, I’m humbled and in awe. (Hebrews 4:12)

Two years ago the LORD used Psalm 118:23-24 to fill my heart and mind with His peace that surpasses understanding, and He is again filling my heart and mind with peace on behalf of many loved ones going through great tribulation today. I am praying the whole psalm for them, and am confident that God’s Word will accomplish its marvelous work in them. I encourage you to open your Bible, and meditate on what God has to say leading up to verse 23. (Philippians 4:6; Isaiah 55:11)

“This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

There are some very frightening, terrifying situations going on right now in the family of God, and in our earthly families. New parents having to rush their firstborn son to the ER, a mother flying out to say goodbye to her daughter in hospice, a wife going to an emergency oncology appointment for her husband’s newest cancer symptoms.

Monday January 4, 2021 our NICU doctor sat us down to tell us Hezekiah was not going to survive; and to present us with options for our last moments with our firstborn son. We already had a full week of hearing devastating news on Hezekiah’s prognosis under our belts. This had been an every other day occurrence – one day devastating news, and the next, miraculous news. The medical staff was constantly perplexed with our boy. But this sit down was different, and would require more immediate decisions on our part.

For 22 years, I had already confused the medical world with my own varying state of health. For 9 years, Joel had ridden that ride alongside me. This was not our first rodeo. The Great Physician, our Creator, our Father, had prepared us through all those times of tribulation, sorrow, and suffering for this very thing. He was proving His workmanship, and He gave us the peace and unity of mind to request one more day to seek the LORD’s will for Hezekiah’s life. (Ephesians 3:9; James 1:2-4; Philippians 1:6)

God had already trained our hearts and minds to fight valiantly this sort of battle with fear, this battle with the devil. Fear seems to be satan’s favorite weapon against God’s children. Fear exposes the hidden faults in our hearts, our idols, our sin of unbelief. Waiting on the LORD seems impossible in the face of fear, and the sense of panic that often comes with it.

I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment…” Perfect love, Christ Jesus, has set His people free from the bondage of fear, by taking our punishment on Himself. He has destroyed the power and control of fear over His redeemed.

Fear being cast out does not deny the fact that there are frightening situations we have to face in this world. I Peter 3:6, “…do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” God calls these things ‘frightening’. Over and over and over again, God tells us plainly in His Word to not fear, and to be strong and courageous because He knows all the frightening situations we will face, and He knows He has already provided us the way of escape that we may be able to endure the temptation to fear. He provides us that strength in Himself. He provides us that courage in Himself. He provides us with Himself as our refuge, our shield, our everything. In Christ, we no longer have to face things that are frightening alone and without hope.(I Corinthians 10:13)

The LORD had trained us to run immediately and directly to Him in times of fear and panic, to take refuge in Him; and not to trust in man, not to trust in ourselves or one another, not to trust in science or Google; but to put all our trust and hope in Him alone.

Not hope for physical healing, but spiritual healing and wholeness. Not hope for our own dreams and desires to come true, but for His perfect will to be done. Not hope in earthly blessings, success, and life, but eternal blessing, victory, and life. True hope that will not put us to shame.

Hope that no matter what, God is with us. God is on our side. God is our helper. God loves us. God is good and does good. God works all things out for the good of those who love Him, for those who are His. And He will make His love and goodness known to us so that this understanding will overwhelm us and compel us to shout and sing for joy with heartfelt gratitude!

For those truly in Christ, our LORD has equipped them, trained them, prepared them for this very thing that they are now facing. He is not only strengthening their faith in Him, but He is also manifesting His beauty, His glory in their responses to these most terrifying situations to shine as lights in this dark world.

Physical healing and earthly life are common graces of God; but spiritual healing and spiritual life are only for God’s children. God is making them truly know His steadfast love (special, covenantal love) for them, His care for them, His delight in them. They are learning to enjoy God Himself, not just His blessings.

While part of me is weeping with those who weep, another part of me is rejoicing in anticipation of how they are going to know the depth of God’s love and goodness so much more through these sufferings and sorrows, just as He did for me the day Hezekiah died.

Spurgeon wrote in his morning devotion for December 20th about these awesome, life-transforming experiences of God’s presence upholding His beloved children: ‘Sometimes the Lord Jesus tells His Church His love thoughts. …He says, ‘You are absolutely beautiful, My beloved!’ …there are times when He will make no secret of it; times when He will put it beyond all dispute in the souls of His people. The Holy Spirit is often pleased, in a most gracious manner, to witness the love of Jesus to our souls. He takes the things of Christ – and reveals them unto us. No voice is heard from the clouds, and no vision is seen in the night – be we have a testimony more sure than either of these. …borne in the heart by the Holy Spirit! …seasons when the love of Christ towards them has been a fact so clear and sure… times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and then our faith has mounted to the topmost heights of assurance. …the closeness of His embrace. His love has been sweeter than wine to our souls!’

“I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.” (Psalm 118:13) So many of my loved ones are being pushed hard so that they are falling right now. I know that many of them are in Christ, and that the LORD will help them - IS currently helping them, and that they will give thanks to Him for He is good and His steadfast love for them endures forever.

But there are those who are not in Christ, those who these hard and frightening things are not being worked out for their good, and yet, I am not to fear this thing which is most terrifying. The most terrifying thing that my loved ones are suffering in vain, and will not have peace with God.

I am to love the LORD and seek His glory first and foremost, and put my hope in Him glorifying Himself, and therefore, the suffering of the lost is not in vain when it comes to His kingdom. Oh how true it is that we cannot serve two masters; that we will despise the one and be devoted to the other!

Here is where I need to persistently, fervently pray, ‘I believe, LORD! Help my unbelief. Unite my heart to love and fear You alone. Make me know You, Your holiness, Your goodness more and more so that even in the deaths of our unsaved loved ones we will still sing, ‘This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. For You are good and do good.’’

-Soli Deo gloria

When Trials Come by the Getty’s:

‘When trials come no longer fear For in the pain our God draws near To fire a faith worth more than gold And there his faithfulness is told And there his faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace The breath of God brings strength to me And new each morning mercy flows As treasures of the darkness grow As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to wisdom not my own For every battle You have known My confidence will rest in You Your love endures, Your ways are good Your love endures, Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost I see the triumph of the cross So in its shadow I shall run Til you complete the work begun Til you complete the work begun

One day all things will be made new I'll see the hope You called me to And in Your kingdom paved with gold I'll praise Your faithfulness of old I'll praise Your faithfulness of old’