3 Sep 2012
Can you remember being in a dreadfully dark place, a location where no matter how long you wait, your eyes will not adjust where you literally cannot see your hand in front of your face? The complete absence of light and the total nonexistence of vision can often disorient us and we can easily become bewildered.
This may be the kind of darkness described by God as a thick darkness, a darkness that can be felt.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness which may be felt.
22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and for three days a thick darkness was all over the land of Egypt. - Exodus 10:21-22 (AMP)
Perhaps God desired the Egyptians to become bewildered by His powerfully provided darkness? Have you sometimes found yourself bewildered? Darkness may not often seem to be the cause of our confusion. Usually the cause for our discouragement or bewilderment seems to be the somewhat normal negative circumstances that are commonly a part of life.
But on the other hand could our discouragements be associated with our vision? Can discouragements be rooted in our lack of vision or perspective? Think of a current discouragement in your personal life. It can be somewhat perilous to unpack another’s discouragement, nevertheless God commands us not to be discouraged.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. - Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines discourage as: to deprive courage, hope or confidence; dishearten.
Is it possible that discouragement thrives primarily in darkness? Is it probable that discouragement in our lives is in some way related to unbelief or misplaced belief in inaccurate truth? It has often been said that one of the greatest tools of the enemy of our souls is discouragement. This is probably true since discouragement pulls down and attempts to destroy the fabric of our faith. Our enemy knows that faith is the key to God working on our behalf in order to provide power for us to bring Him glory. Does it then follow that buried below the surface of each of our individual discouragements is the hidden the potential for great courage through faith?
Perhaps we should turn our attention from darkness and discouragement to courage and light.
5 And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].
6 [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. - 1 John 1:5-6 (AMP)
As faith-filled followers of Jesus, we must look to and ask the Holy Spirit to provide for us courage and light, courage and light in our thoughts, in our prayers, in our words, and in our actions. Jesus said that He is the light of the world. Therefore we can with confidence ask the Spirit to provide to us the light of Jesus. John 16:15 (AMP)15 Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
John 8:12 (AMP) 12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life.
There is much worldly resistance to light. This world is full of darkness and this world’s darkness is consistently and persistently attempting to diffuse our light and steal our life. Jesus taught that we are prone to walk in darkness, and the antidote to this dreadful tendency is to believe in Him. The amplified bible gives us a clear picture of the original language in this regard.
John 12:46 (AMP)
46 I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes in Me [whoever cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] may not continue to live in darkness.
I have noticed when I cleave to Jesus it is difficult to remain discouraged. Discouragement, for me, is usually a good litmus test to determine if I am cleaving to Jesus and relying upon Him. Spending protracted time in the presence of God seems to be a powerful cure for discouragement that is constantly attempting to leak into and become the primary focus of my life.
Moses had a unique relationship with God. Exodus 34:29,34 & 35 (AMP)
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face shone and sent forth beams by reason of his speaking with the Lord. 34 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he took the veil off until he came out. And he came out and told the Israelites what he was commanded.
35 The Israelites saw the face of Moses, how the skin of it shone; and Moses put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with God. This shining of the face of Moses was without doubt a powerful manifestation of the presence of God.
Though Moses’ relationship with God was unique, God desires for each of our lives regular occasions that will publish His presence. 6 For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). - 2 Corinthians 4:6 (AMP)
There is a true sense of humility and yet one of confidence that fills our hearts when we have spent adequate time in God’s presence. There is a deepened desire to pray for the things that are on the heart of God. There is light and life for our prayers. As we pray and as we walk with God, may we say along with Moses, if you presence does not go with us do not send us up from here. Father, restrain us from moving out without Your presence. We pray Father that you might shine forth in our hearts and from our lives the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God!
Jeff Williams
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