It is vital that we have eyes to see and hearts to discern that, even in the darkest of times, God is there! Present. Knowing. Understanding … there are good things going on behind the scenes when you are in dark days. God is present, active and protective.
FAITH IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS
Message by Bill Johnston – September 9, 2018
2 Kings 6:15-18, 2 Samuel 22:29 “O Lord, You are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.”
4 REASONS WHY WE CAN HAVE FAITH IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS
1. REALITY IS MORE THAN WHAT WE SEE
2 Kings 6:15-16 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”
THE PRINCIPLE: “Reality has nothing to do with what is visible or invisible. It has everything to do with God.” (Townsend)
“Faith is daring of the soul to go farther than it can see.”
2. FAITH, LIKE LIGHT, IS MORE POWERFUL THAN DARKNESS
2 Kings 6:17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
John 1:4-5 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
3. GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR DARK TIMES
“Faith is not intelligent understanding; faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.” (Chambers)
Jeremiah 23:24 “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.
“It is vital that we have eyes to see and hearts that discern that, even in the darkest of times, God is there!” (Townsend)
Psalms 112:4a Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
Isaiah 7:9b Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.
4. GOD IS ACTIVE IN OUR DARK TIMES
2 Kings 6:18 As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
“…there are good things going on behind the scenes when you are in dark days. God is present, active, and protective.” (Townsend)
James 1:3 (NASB) “…knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
TAKEAWAYS
1. Embrace the fact that there is always more than meets the eye in your story!
2. Is my focus more on the darkness around me or the light and life of Jesus in me?
3. Nurture a grateful heart for the fact of God’s presence in the dark.
4. In what ways do I recognize God’s activity in the tough times?
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