Trusting in the Dark

So often we struggle and fret about things over which we have no control. We lose sleep over situations where God is already at work, struggling through a dark providence, unable to see all He is doing for our good behind the scenes. Yet, He promises us sleep – rest – if we will only trust Him and not in the vanity of our own strength.

In her comments on Psalm 127, Lydia Brownback said, “Wise planning and diligent effort are vital, but success in any endeavor depends solely on God.” God calls us to action not passivity. We must work out our salvation in times of trials, while at the same time, we must place our trust in the One who works in us “to will and to act according to His good pleasure.” 

So often we become disheartened as we look to what is seen to measure our success, but in God’s economy it is our obedience in faith that is the measure of success. We obey and the outcome is up to Him. How He uses any given situation in our life will always be for the good of His kingdom and for our growth. To rest in God’s will is to know we can confidently and boldly move forward in obedience toward whatever God has put before us without fear of failure.

The apostle Paul said he worked harder than his contemporaries, yet it was not him but the Spirit in him that worked mightily. Our strength to serve and to endure hardship comes from being one with Christ and His Spirit living within us. He is the vine, we are the branches. Apart from Him we can do nothing, but in Him, we can do anything for “He who calls us is faithful, who will do it.” 

As I read the passage in John 15 about the vine and the branches, verse 2 stood out to me. The vine that did not bear fruit was cast away but the one that bore fruit was pruned to bear more fruit. This took me to Hebrews 12 which speaks of not growing weary in the discipline (training) of the Lord. There are different reasons for discipline. It can be punishment or hardship but both shape a believer to look more and more like Christ.

Our perspective on the hardship depends on our perspective of the God who allowed it – ordained it – for our good to prune us, making us more fruitful in His kingdom. All pruning is a grace of God on our behalf because we are His. Whether we suffer from “punishment” pruning as sons and daughters because of our sin or bear the weight of “hardship” pruning in other ways, we can give thanks to God because He is using it all to shape us into the image of His beloved Son. 

“For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Friends, we can find rest even in the dark because we trust in the One who is unseen!