Dark Treasure

 "And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness - secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the One who calls you by name." Isaiah 43:5...."Spiritual warfare includes the ability to worship in dark places." Chris Tiegreen

Katherine Wolf is a young woman with an amazing testimony. As a beautiful wife and mother, she had a series of debilitating strokes that have crippled her, cost her the loss of hearing in one ear, left one side of her face paralyzed, and greatly affected her ability to speak. To the observer, her life has suffered serious loss and took on seemingly impossible suffering. She doesn't see it that way, and her reasons for having a different view are deeply inspiring.

In the interview I watched, she quoted Isaiah 43:5, saying, "If you have to go into the deep darkness, you may as well get the treasure that is found there." She has taken God at His word. She has walked in deep darkness through her suffering, but has determined that she will lay hold of all that He has for her in that darkness. She said that it's true that if we're going through hell, we mustn't stop, but that we need to go slowly enough that we don't miss the treasures He has for us in that place, which is exactly what God is saying in Isaiah 43:5. He promised that if we would walk by faith even in the darkness, we'd discover new depths and new heights in Him that we never knew possible. We would come to know Him beyond anything we believed possible. He's the great treasure. God Himself.

Wolf said that prior to her stroke, she believed she was really living "the good life." She was a lovely, vivacious woman with a happy marriage and beautiful family. Everything changed with the stroke. She began to discover that the good life according to the Father is not centered on things or circumstances but on what we gain in Him. The good life according to God is one filled with His peace, joy, hope, and love. Those things we think make for the good life can disappear in a moment. The good that can only be found in Him, in Jesus Christ, can never be taken from us. Knowing this is what enables us to worship Him even in the dark.

Katherine Wolf has been the recipient of much suffering. She has found the treasure God has for her in the darkness of her suffering. Such treasure is ours in our own places of suffering as well. We find it when we discover Him...on our knees in worship. And here's one more jewel from the treasure box; He knows our name, your name....and He calls to us.....by our name. By your name and mine.

Blessings,
Pastor O