The 40 Day Journey - Day 6 (Darkness)

My devotional this morning opened with this verse from Isaiah 45:3

And I will give you the treasures of darkness, 
And hidden wealth of secret places, 
In order that you may know that it is I, 
The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. 

When I am struggling with brokenness, it definitely feels like darkness is my constant companion.  I can feel alone and hopeless. What the enemy would like me to believe is that in the darkness nothing grows, nothing is seen, I am forgotten.  It feels like there is no purpose and these days, months, years are wasted.

What is true is that there are treasures of darkness that God allows in our lives, in my life.

In Isaiah 45 we are introduced to Cyrus, King of Persia.  The thing is, we are told about what God will do through him, before Cyrus is even born!  Before this man even takes his first breath as a baby, God has treasures of darkness planned for him.  And the purpose? That he would know God. God calls him by name and has purpose for him, even in darkness...maybe especially in the darkness.

God shows His sovereignty in verse 7,  "The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does these."

The truth is, God forms light AND creates darkness.  These are both from God's hand.  Who are we to want only part of what God has to offer?  If God is in control of all things and allows darkness into our lives for a season, we can trust Him to mine for the treasure that is hidden there.

Kristian Stanfill sings one of my favorite songs, In Christ Alone.  One line stands out as I consider God's purposes, "When darkness falls, I find my hope in Christ alone."  When darkness falls.  If you've walked with Christ very long, you know darkness.  Have you considered it to be a treasure?  This is new for me, but I believe that in my broken moments, when darkness falls, we do find our hope in Christ alone.  There is no other.  

As Stanfill talks about this song he says, "Worship is our weapon that leads us out of the darkness."  It doesn't magically transport us to a better place, it leads us out...and this is my treasure today.  There is a way out of the darkness. This is part of my journey. Christ alone has the power to lead me out.  So I will worship and follow Him into His glorious light.

Song: In Christ Alone, Kristian Stanfill

The 40 Day Journey - Day 5 (Treasure in Brokenness)

I've developed a fun hobby over the last few years, searching for beach glass. Any time we are on a rocky beach, it is always a treasure hunt to find the perfect piece of glass.  If the edges are sharp, we throw it back in the water since it is not quite "done yet". If the hard edges have become smooth and the color is just right, it is a keeper.

Kauai with Lily and Kaileia 2012

I have two favorite moments searching for beach glass.  One was on Kauai with my sister and niece and the other in California with Kirstin. Both of these beaches have an abundance of glass.  The beach in Hawaii was a garbage dump that started over 100 years ago.  Someones junk has literally become our prize.

And this introduces my time with God this coming week.

California with Kirstin 2013

For a few years God has been teaching me about brokenness.  Life has not been super easy.  There are broken pieces in my life, disappointments, unmet expectations, hurts, loss...the edges are sharp and unforgiving to this tender heart.  But just like the broken glass that gets discarded in the ocean, with a little tossing and churning, coarse sand, and time...something beautiful emerges.

I think God is asking me to spend some time with Him on this.  So, more like Washington beaches, where you have to really search for the valuable piece of milky beach glass...I will search for the treasure in brokenness.  I have to admit, I am doing this with caution.  I'm not sure I want to find all the answers.

I am resolved though since God confirmed this to me in multiple ways this morning.  In case I want to chicken out, here is a list of how He made the way clear for this part of the journey.

Within the first few hours of Day 5:

• I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning.  I had an hour before the alarm was going to go off and I could hit snooze.  This rarely happens and when it does, my response every time is to go back to sleep, every time.  But God reminded me about our appointment and I got up.  
• I read a devotional by Charles Spurgeon that was really encouraging toward this idea of brokenness and then on the way to work, the radio announcer quoted Charles Spurgeon!  
• The quote, "Because He's the living God, He can hear.  Because He's a loving God, He will hear." Another confirmation that God wants to hear from me and wants to respond.
•  And the final thing, the first message I opened this morning was a song sent to me by a dear friend with the line: "All who are broken, lift up your face..."  from Come As You Are by David Crowder (YouTube version)

So this week, I will lift up my face and seek His.  I'm pretty sure a treasure is waiting to be found.