Through the darkest night

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. ~ Job 13:15

One of the darkest nights in history was when Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane uttered the words: Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26:39). Jesus faced with the sin of the whole world and the reality of been forsaken by the Father, something He had never experienced. No words or emotions can capture what Jesus faced at that moment but praise God, He came through by the power of the Holy Ghost and got a name above all other names (Hebrews 1:3-4).

Let us examine the story of Job today and see what the Lord has for us in it. The Bible says that God allowed the devil to attack Job’s character and health (Job 1:12; Job 2:6). During this time, Job lost all of his wealth and was struck with painful boils from his foot to the crown of his head. When his friends came to see him, they could not utter a word for seven days. All they did was weep for him because of his great suffering. When they finally spoke a word, it was to let Job know that he had sinned and received due punishment from God. The same thing was said when Jesus hung upon the cross, an atonement of sin for the whole world (Isaiah 53:3-4). In the midst of this, Job uttered these words that echo through ages: though he slays me, I will trust in Him.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said to His disciples, “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” In other words, as a Christian, you can not escape going through the darkest night. Jesus clearly stated in the sermon on the mount: Blessed are ye, when men revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake (Matthew 5:11). Why does God allow us to go through nights? I believe it is for the simple reason: He wants to empty us of everything in this world and fill us with His glorious self. It is as Apostle Paul says in Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. God allows us to go through this darkest night to reveal what we are, purify us, and make us entirely His.

Now you may be going through a night, and it looks like it will last forever. With that, it may look like God is silent and is allowing some trials or storms to come your way. You look around yourself, and people not as devoted as yourself are prospering. They are beginning to tell you as Job’s friends did. You have sinned against God, and you are receiving due punishment. Oh, what great humiliation and emptying of the soul that brings. Let the word of Job today bring you great comfort, rather than getting agitated by this and follow the advice Job’s wife gave him: curse God and die (Job 2:9). I admonish you to lay down yourself under divine providence and let God have His way in and through you. God loves you, which is why He allows you to go through this night. He wants to reveal Himself to the world through you.

As you go through your dark night, let these verses from the Psalms be of comfort to you:

For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning. ~ Psalm 30:5

He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

Bringing his sheaves with him. ~ Psalm 126:6

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ~ Psalm 23:4

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. ~ Psalm 105:17-19