Treasures in the darkness
Isaiah in chapter 45 says “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, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” Over ten years of speaking and writing about invitation I have known days of light depression and despondency, but I have found that God is in the middle of this thick darkness. Os Hillman says “What we perceive as dark periods in our lives are designed to be treasures from God. They are actually riches stored in secret places. We cannot see those times in this light because of the often-accompanying pain or fear that prevents us from accepting these times as treasures. They have a particular purpose from God’s viewpoint: “…so that you may know that I am the Lord…who summons you by name.” You see, unless we are cast into times in which we are completely at God’s mercy for breakthroughs in our lives, we will never experience God’s faithfulness in those areas. We will never know how personal God is, or that God can be trusted to meet the deepest needs in our lives.” Invite someone today to take a closer look at Christ and his church and they might say no, but know the LORD is with you.
