It Always Darkest Before the Dawn

"It's always darkest before the dawn" is an insight that is often true in nature and the spiritual realm. Another way of putting it is that as God prepares to move, the enemy works his hardest to deceive us into thinking that nothing is happening or will happen. I think a lot of the media hoopla around this election is simply a smoke screen to discourage "values voters." The key thing for us is "don't be discouraged, but carry on." I have been thinking about how many examples there are in the Bible of this concept.

The greatest one is the resurrection of Jesus. The three days that the disciples thought were the blackest, when all hope was gone, was the very time that Jesus was in the heart of the earth taking "captivity captive" for the greatest victory ever. He came out of the grave, tore the bars of death away and defeated the devil's power for all time. The children of Israel in Egypt longed for freedom, but when God started to work through Moses, things went from bad to worse. The bondage grew heavier and heavier until God finally bared His arm and brought the mighty power of Egypt to its knees, first with ten plagues and then by destroying Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea! The three worthies stood up for God and the first result was the king's anger and his command to stoke the furnace seven times hotter. It seemed even more hopeless until God literally stepped into the fiery furnace, walked with the three young men, and saw that they were delivered so that not even a hair of their head was harmed.

So no matter how dark things look in your personal life, in our nation, or in the world, "keep your eyes upon the eastern sky; lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh." And remember that when things appear the darkest, God is moving and perhaps doing his greatest work! Even when it seems like a battle is lost, we remember that God will win the war, so keep on fighting. He desires that we keep believing and proclaiming the truth. The final outcome is certain. We know the final score. Revelation's theme is clear: "Jesus Wins!"

Have a wonderful day, resting in the certainty of the final outcome.