“What is darkness? Darkness is merely the absence of light. The only way there can be darkness is for the light to be withdrawn. Who is the light? God is the light. But sometimes God may just back off and leave His servant in darkness. If you read biographies of great Christians, almost all of them will talk about something they call the dark night of the soul. They’re serving God, they’re loving God, and then things come, perplexities they can’t understand.

There’s going to come a time when all your theology will go upside down. There will be a time when you won’t understand where God is and you’re going to be in such darkness you won’t see your hand in front of your face. What do you do then? Isaiah says stay upon your God; trust Him” (Dr. Adrian Rogers).

As Corrie ten Boom once said. If you’re on a train and it goes through a dark tunnel, you don’t jump off but stay on and trust the conductor. You hold on to hope for a light at the end of that tunnel because the conductor has been there before.

In Psalm 23, I’m still amazed that the valley of the shadow of death is where King David shifts from referring to the Lord as He and changes to using the pronoun You. That’s where faith becomes real and personal.

The dark is where the precious secrets are like diamonds or gold down in a deep mine. That’s where God speaks a word to you for you to share with others once you find daylight again. That’s where God THE Shepherd becomes God YOUR Shepherd.

Keep stayed on the Lord. Trust Him in the dark and he won’t fail. He will keep you in His care. You will be safe. Amen.

This one is from Henri Nouwen:

“Dear Lord, you have sent me into this world to preach your word. So often the problems of the world seem so complex and intricate that your word strikes me as embarrassingly simple. Many times I feel tongue-tied in the company of people who are dealing with the world’s social and economic problems.

But you, O Lord, said, ‘Be clever as serpents and innocent as doves.’ Let me retain innocence and simplicity in the midst of this complex world. I realize that I have to be informed, that I have to study the many aspects of the problems facing the world, and that I have to try to understand as well as possible the dynamics of our contemporary society. But what really counts is that all this information, knowledge, and insight allows me to speak more clearly and unambiguously your truthful word. Do not allow evil powers to seduce me with the complexities of the world’s problems, but give me strength to think clearly, speak freely, and act boldly in your service. Give me the courage to show the dove in a world so full of serpents” (Henri Nouwen).

Above all, help us never to be ashamed to speak Your name, Jesus. It is still the only name with the power to save from the only One who is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life. Amen.

“You see, true love germinates in the soil of sacrifice, sprouts in the garden of surrender and matures in a matrimony of servanthood.  Love isn’t love until it has cost you something to give it away” Josh Hopwood).

I see a lot of so-called love paraded around on social media, but in reality it’s just lust masquerading as love. Lust only wants to take and consume, while love longs to give and bless.

If you want the ultimate definition of love, look at Jesus. Specifically look at Philippians 2:5-11. That is sacrificial love at its absolute best. In fact, we only love at all because He first loved us and completely gave of Himself for us.

The best way to show love is not in gratifying your own desires. Love shows up best in serving others, especially those who have no way of repaying and might not even be able to show appreciation for your efforts. But love gives anyway.

The Bible says that God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust. He provides for those who will turn around and slander His name and even go so far as to deny His reality. That’s what love looks like.

Lord, help us to love others as You have loved us. Help us to love ourselves the way You love us. Most of all, help us to remember that the only things we can take with us when we die are what we’ve given away. Amen.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. If you get the joke, you’re probably ready for your first colonoscopy.

I used to think that this verse meant that Jesus was going to give me the best nap ever. Back in the day, rest for me was synonymous with sleep, so it made sense that to rest meant not to do anything kind of work or activity.

Now, I think I see that rest is to cease striving. It means that my identity is no longer in what I do but in who God says I am. It means that I work not for worth and validation but from a place of worth and validation that’s already mine. It means that the old saying is true — we fight not for victory but from victory.

Whether I’m Sabbath resting or going about my day from a place of peace rather than stress or striving, I know Jesus’ words are true. I can rest no matter where I am or what I’m doing because I belong to the Prince of Peace.

Lord, give Your people rest. Help them to find Your joy in everything they do and to know that because they are in Christ, they already have victory and acceptance in You. Amen.