The darkest day of the winter has passed, and yet we are still in the season of waking in the dark, dining in the dark, and yearning for the warmth and brightness of summer. This season is experienced by many as a living metaphor of the ‘dark night of the soul’. Living in a fallen world, we will all face days that have us crying out “how long O LORD” and “Our LORD, come! Maranatha!”
Yet Light shines in the darkness! And “God who said “light shines in the darkness” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (see John 1, and 2 Corinthians 4) We can walk in His Light, beloved. Even when we wonder why, how, how long, and feel worn out.
Will Ordinary Means help in your dark hours?
We are called to follow Jesus, to abide in Him, and in that process He is making us more like Christ, more like our Head, the second Adam, the true Image of God! We are not making ourselves, and He certainly does NOT help them that help themselves. He came to seek and save His lost people; He came to purify for Himself a people for His own possession; He accomplished our redemption, our atonement, our reconciliation; and He will complete the work He has begun. Our work, our following and abiding and being fruitful, is never separate or apart from Him–for apart from Him we can do nothing.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Nothing. Do you believe that? Nothing pertaining to eternity, pertaining to your soul, to your good or His glory. But we have received from Him grace upon grace! And we have received the promised Spirit! (John 14-16; Acts 2:33; Gal. 3:14; Eph. 1:13)
So, will these ordinary means help, even in the dark hours? Yes beloved. Because He is faithful to His promises. Because He is good, and He is the Fountainhead of all goodness. Because He is Light, and because He is Love, and He delights in unchanging love.
For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.
Ps. 36:9
Would Paul instruct you in the same way he did Timothy? “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
We fight, but the weapons of our warfare? We want to take hold, but how? The armor of God, and especially the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Get in the Word, get back in the Word, remain in His Word. Trust Him to work in you, through His Word. The LORD is your stronghold, run to Him, walk with Him!
Enjoy this section of John Owen’s Communion with God:
Set your mind on earthly things, temporal things, and fleshly desires, and you cannot enjoy His life and peace. Set your mind on the things of the Spirit, and He who promises life and peace is faithful to work in you, for you. “Exercise your thoughts” as John Owen reminds us. This is not a formula, but His own promise to fellowship with His people, to bless us in this communion (see Romans 8). I have experienced this, but it is hard to put into words just how refreshing an intentional communing with Him can be.
He works for our good, our eternal good, the good of our souls enjoyment in Him. In, not apart from, Him. And “eternal” is not a descriptor of time. Eternal describes a quality of God when as yet He had not created time, space, or matter. Eternal is not merely “forever” or “everlasting.” As yet, we can only partially grasp the beauty and meaning of “eternal life;” but we know that when we see Him, when we are absent from the body and present with the LORD, we will know more fully just how good and glorious our eternal life is.
Remain In The Word
Already in this series (see here for the intro) we have spoken of prayer. We move next to being daily in the Word. Reading His Words is primarily how we begin to set our minds, and to abide in Words. We ought to read at a regular pace, some from the Old and some from the New Testament, each day.
It is a good goal to read the Bible at least once per year. Reading large chunks each day, you will notice connections, you will more easily discern the Large Story undergirding all the stories, you will follow what many Reformed pastors and theologians call the scarlet thread of redemption.
We must also read often at a slower pace, allowing our minds to ponder and muse upon a small portion deeply. In a society that tries to maximize everything and attempt to do several tasks at once–this may prove difficult. But oh so good! Learning to focus on a small portion, letting it fill your mind while you then move through your day, this is one facet of how we let it dwell in us richly (Colossians 3).
Remember the freedom you have in Christ, which the Puritans worked so hard to safeguard. You dig in, you read, without turning this into ‘lawkeeping.’ Many have told me over the years “it must be first thing in the morning.” And, just to be candid, that is my preference. But many Puritans have made it known that their preferred times were evening, night, midday. Beloved, you choose a time! Be devoted, be intentional, be flexible, and enjoy!
Read In His Presence
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from men; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
Isaiah 59:21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”
1 Thess 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
When we read the Scriptures, we read knowing it is what He has called us to abide in, to delight in, to learn, to let abide in us richly, to keep, to talk of with others throughout each day, etc. But we do not do this apart from Him, we are those who willingly come to learn from Him. We are those of whom He says “I speak and they hear My voice and follow Me…” (see John 10) We read trusting that His Word will be at work in us, as alive and active as He says it is.
With the changing seasons of life, don’t give it up! I was told by a mentor that in those young motherhood days you don’t get to bask in the Word, but must rely on your reserves. I’m glad she was wrong. It was physically difficult to hold my copy of the Scriptures while holding a baby–but listening to Scripture, and reading on my Kindle worked in that season. Find what works, be flexible, but do not resign yourself to thinking “not now, maybe later…”
Finally, did you notice that promise from Isaiah? How does that compare to Jesus’ promises in John 14-16? Or to the further teaching 1 Corinthians 2? His Word and His Spirit are inseparably at work, because the Triune God is inseparably at work.
“Now may the God of all Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing!” Romans 15:13
We’ve focused today on reading, next time we will look at studying!