When The Darkness Shrinks You Small…And How To Go On

The light angles, turning, bending, dark rising while ISIS, and the global climate keeps warning, “We are headed for a storm”.

And though His Refuge seems dormant, His hand’s promise of not being too short, pierces the minds and souls of those who believe.

And darkness can set in, so we fill precious hours with loud distractions to forget.  Trying to run but not realizing, we are hidden from the reality that Jesus is returning.

We are His light-bearers, taking up His sword of truth, piercing darkness with light, declaring His glory throughout the earth.

Still, the news says ISIS took their lives…the twenty-one kneeled men…

As if tapped by the King, knighted for some calling, becoming the saints that go before us could be hindered by some masked, hidden men.

But truth is…..these martyrs gave their lives, laid them down willingly, just like Jesus did….as did so many going before them; refusing to denounce Jesus…confessing not the religion of Islam.

And I remember the boys my husband ministered to in the Philippines.  Street boys turned Jesus lovers.  And how the day came when the Muslim cops made them kneel too.  One escaped, but the rest were shot right in the backs because they refused to turn from Jesus.

And where was their FOX news story then?  Their Twitter obituaries?  The legacy of “awe” mantled above these children nobody saw..but Jesus?

And while the enemy forces submission, God the gentleman beckons, lures, calls us into fellowship.  It is our choice….never demanded of us.  Unlike other so called peace-loving religions.

The stories pounding, the dark surrounding, lies try to cloak any light shining…as we hide, and fear, and live life safe. Unlike the martyrs willing to die for the sake of their first love.

The room blackens, Christian’s fearful of admitting their own concerns, believers hiding behind, “I am o.k.”, “Things are good”….as if admitting weakness is flawed or imperfect, or somehow to the “religious”, unaccepted, or un-spiritual.

Yet, I lay on the floor.  Face lowered.  Because this is where I find my true love.  His whisper welcomes.  Worship music floods forth, while light beams through the window from our open field.

And it is there in the secret place, my upper room, my heart turns to Him.  It is in His presence, the bright throws covers off, standing up bright for all to see.  It is in this turning my face towards the rising of the glorious Son where my smallness is not hindered, or ignored, and flees from troubling world events tugging at our souls.

And I wonder why we run from small.  Why rising-to-self out-wins shrinking and finding all glory in Him? Do we not recognize God calls the holy humble to get tall only after they have known the fullness of their God there in the secret place.

And when did we ever think that we could go out, and live, and shut out, and keep busy enough to drown out the reality that darkness will shrink us un-returnably if we don’t submit to His calling….the truth that He is our help in time of need, His presence…our power, His grace….all we need.

I see Him coming, walking me to blessing.  The war is going, but I see Him send troops out in rows, on invisible horses, to claim His victory….

And I think we can forget that the battle is not ours….but His.  Warring in our flesh, when He teaches us…On our knees in helpless surrender, connected arm and arm with the Holy One, eyes fixed on His goodness….is where the battle is won.

The darkness has come.  People caged, burned alive, glorious believers willing to die for The One that is their hope of salvation….

And oh how the precious blood of Jesus was shed for us.  His sacrifice saying, perfect love is this, “He who lays down His life for a friend”….

And this friend was us…did we forget?

And I want that.  In the dark, to fix my eyes on Him.  To not love my life, like the be-headed one, praying to Him until all pain is done, all tears and suffering seems small in light of His coming glory.

But until He comes….we can go into the secret place, small, but rise large because His presence fills us with a glory that can’t be found in this world.  In His inner-dwellings, hope, peace, and joy is truly attainable….despite the suffering we see on nightly news.

And I want to be a beam of His glorious light…don’t you?  Rising after getting small.  Being His spokesperson, knowing His call…..and living it out, despite how I feel.

I open scripture, and He point me to…Revelations 21:22-26.

“I saw no temple in the city, for he Lord God Omnipotent [Himself] and the Lamb [Himself] are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the splendor and radiance (glory) of God illuminate it, and the Lamb is its Lamp.  The nations shall walk by its light and the rulers and leaders of the earth shall bring into it their glory.  And its gates shall never be closed by day, and there shall be no night there.  They shall bring the glory (the splendor and majesty) and the honor of the nations into it.” – Talking of heaven

And oh friends, how can we drown the noise of hatred, not give into the fear the enemy tries to taint us with, stop hiding continually because the evil seems too torment-some to bare….

Won’t we live from that secret place.  Stand filled with the well overflowing.  Believe fully, He has won. Trust the battle into the One who has already won the war?

Will you today friend, get low and ask Him?  Ask Him so He can show you not only the Son…but the fullness of the truth that God is all, High and lifted up, far above all principalities and rulers in this world….

Where in His presence no sin can glory, no fear can hide us, no pain can keep us from the resurrection power He has given us.  His cross imprinted on our souls….His glory so worth dying for….

His presence what we live for.  Made full…in the secret place.