Night Ministry

 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.  Matthew 11:27..."Thank you Father, for the ministry of the night."

I love the sunshine. I dislike cloudy, overcast skies, and rainstorms even more. Yet these are needed because without them, the beauty revealed in the sunlight would wither and die. It's the same in our spiritual lives.

I am thankful for His blessings in the sun, the deep warmth within that they have brought me. Yet, as wonderful as those times have been, I can't think of anything of deep import that He spoke to me there. I don't mean I was out of fellowship with Him, but I know that in my enjoyment of His blessing, I could become dulled to the voice of the One who gives the blessing. That's our human nature. We'd love to live on the sun-drenched mountaintop, but He knows that we will not experience Him there as He wants us to. So, He leads us into the dark valleys. The dark valleys where the blessings seem to dry up, even disappear. The dark valley where we, hopefully, are re-awakened to our desperate need of Him. The dark valley where we hear Him in ways we never could in the sun. The dark valley where mysteries are revealed.

This morning I heard a woman named Andrea Herzer talk about her journey through the night over the past 20 years. Her life has been one of going from one physical affliction to another. A plethora of nerve and muscle issues that bring pain that never leaves her. In addition, she has been battling cancer for the last decade. Very often, she cannot even get out of her bed, and she lies there, experiencing a maddening pain that He has allowed, and to date, has not taken away. Yes, she experiences all the frustration and times of anger that we all would. But she says that she has found in the pain and in the questions, a reality of Him that she never before knew. She said that in her pain, she would cry out words of praise to Him. As she did so, her spirit was so lifted up into His Presence that she was above the pain. Yes, the pain was still there, it was real. He was more real. And He spoke to her there. He gave her what the Word calls, "songs in the night." Out of those songs came a book titled, "Incurable Faith." and through it, she powerfully ministers to all those walking the valley of darkness. We may have what we see as "incurable" afflictions. For them we need an incurable faith.

If you're walking through the valley of darkness, in the depths of the night, may you receive His ministry there. Don't run from it. Run to Him. He has rich words to speak and mysteries to reveal. By His grace, may you walk in your own incurable faith. In the valley, He will lift you up.

Blessings,
Pastor O