ISAIAH 50:10 – Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”

THEME OF THE DAY:  WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT.  Not every day is happy in Jesus.  Not every day is living on a “Mount of Transfiguration” experience.  Not every day is full of joy and living in constant victory of Satan, sin, and self.  The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, once said, “The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.” His insights were keen in understanding the experience of every child of God.  There are simply seasons “when the lights go out” in one’s spiritual life, not eternally, but for good purposes of spiritual growth.  Those good purposes are stated by the prophet Isaiah in today’s scripture.

The person described by Isaiah is a believer, not in sin, but walking in spiritual darkness.  In God’s mysterious but good ways, He has placed His child in a place where he does not sense the Lord’s Presence or leading.  Perhaps he feels like what John Newton calls “the unbelieving believer” – the true believer who is struggling in a season of spiritual confusion or lack of understanding of what is happening in his life.  It is in this place, the Lord teaches His child two necessary lessons for maturing in the faith.

First, when the lights go out in our spiritual walks we are called to “trust in the name of the Lord.”  This is a call to faith over feelings and trust over human reasoning.  And the object is the Lord’s Name.  It is in the Name of the Lord we find everything we need in life and eternity. One example is found in the wisdom book of Proverbs – The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe (Proverbs 18:10).  Do a study of the word “name” in the book of Psalms as it applies to the Lord.  It appears 112 times and will cause a drooping and discouraged heart to soar!  So, one of the purposes of being in a period of spiritual darkness is to teach us to trust in the trustworthiness of the Lord’s name.

Another lesson to learn when the lights go out is “reliance on God’s Person.” Hopefully we know what it is like to have a friend that has proven over and over to be there in times of great need to carry our burdens.  This person was trustworthy, and that confidence proved to be true.  Now look to the Lord!  What a friend indeed has Jesus been!  Count how many times the Lord has failed to keep His promise.  Count how many times the Lord didn’t keep His Word. We don’t need a calculator or fingers.  The answer is zero.  He is trustworthy always.  And when spiritual darkness blankets our fearful heart, He remains the God who is reliable.  As those times when the lights go out come upon us, cast ourselves upon the reliability of the Lord’s Person.  After the season is over and the lights are back on, we will see He was always there, reliable as ever!

Lessons in the dark.  They are the lasting kind because they transform us as we learn trust in the Lord’s name, despite our feelings and circumstances, and increased reliance upon the unchanging character of our God’s Person.

PRAYER: “Father, may I not allow my feelings or understanding determine Your love for me.”

QUOTE: “Faith tells us the truth of God and His love and never betrays the trusting child of God.”

In the affection of Christ Jesus,

Pastor Jim