Riches in Darkness

The most eloquent sermon I ever heard was delivered by perhaps one of the seemingly least likely of deliverers; (only because of his relative youth, since he was) a barely thirty year old youth pastor with his entire ministry ahead of him. The name “Scott” means traveler, and aptly enough this particular Scott, even at this juncture in his life, had traveled the world; (and continues to do so.)

 

Isaiah 45:3 encourages us that, “I will give you riches in darkness, and treasures in secret places.”

 

And to be fair, on the surface it is almost impossible to understand how the dark and deep places in our journey, the literal pauses and potholes in life’s pathway, can be good for us.

 

And yet, as Dr. David Jeremiah so adequately put it, (paraphrased) “Without those difficult elements of our journey, those valleys where the sun barely filters through the foliage, our lives would amount to such a vanilla-flavored existence.”

 

Sometimes I have been prone to desire “a little more vanilla in the cake mix,” as I’m sure we have all sometimes wished.

 

One of the hidden tidbits of scripture can be found in Hebrews 3:13:

 

“By day by day, and as long as today shall last continue to encourage one another.”

 

Granted, the traditional meaning of the word, “encouragement” is woven into the implication of this scripture. But there is also an inference which includes the smaller word which lies between the prefix and suffix.

 

Courage

 

We live in one of the most complicated periods of history. For all its technology, and benefits, I think that never before in history have so many wars, and rumors of war existed, and I’m convinced that our natural enemy is working overtime; not just in the macrocosm of the geo-political world, but in the microcosm of our lives.

 

Christ assured us that the servant is not above his Master. And for all the apparent misunderstanding which is naturally joined with suffering, as Christians we could never hope to properly come alongside the insidious infidel, or staggering servant if we had, ourselves, not first “been there.”

 

In Colossians 1:24 the Apostle Paul expounds on one of the lesser doctrines of scripture; at least one of the lesser preached doctrines.

 

“Filling up in my own body the unfinished sufferings of Christ.”

 

As if we had something to add to Christ’ sufferings

 

And in a larger sense, as we consider that word, “unfinished” the larger body of scripture is very plain that we have nothing whatsoever to add to the finished work of Christ.

 

And yet, there is an implication in this verse that something remains…

 

Unfinished

 

And it occurs to me that there is, indeed, something unfinished, and which will go on remaining unfinished in the lives of every suffering saint of God; until we each, individually “lay it all down.”

 

Our Participation

 

We have been granted the gift of participating in that inestimable suffering which Christ knew, and whereby He was made perfect, and without which none of us can hope to also be made perfect.

 

God grant us the wherewithal to wear the cloak of suffering well, as our Master first wore it well; that we might discover those “riches in darkness and treasures in secret places” which you promised were available to those who bear well with difficulties. And though none of us would naturally welcome the troubles and trials which life is so prone to bestow, give us the courage to bear up well to them; that in dying to self we are granted the wherewithal to live to others. In Christ name. Amen.

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Unconventional Devotions" Copyright 2005