Explore the darkness

There are dark places. They are places in our hearts where depression, frustration, sadness lurk. They are places where we feel rejection and loss. They are places where we have done all we can to pursue the plan of God and find our own strength is not enough. They are the places where we know without a doubt, that if a miracle does not happen, we too will perish. They are places of broken dreams and loss of vision. They are places where we feel like our lives lack purpose and focus. They are the places where we wonder, what is the purpose?

The purpose of the dark place will be lost if all we do in the dark place is look and wait for the way out. If our focus on the dark place is solely on moving on to another place, then we have missed the point of the dark place. God has a plan in the dark place. His goal is for you to find treasure in the darkness. “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” (Isaiah 45:3, NIV84) The only way to find the treasure is to explore the dark place.

The word treasure speaks of a treasure storehouse, and amoury and a place of weapons. The word riches speaks of hidden treasure. The word darkness speaks of night, obscurity and dark. The secret place speaks of the place of hiding. It seems that in the darkness, in the aloneness, in the place where we feel so very far from the plans of God, there are weapons, provisions, and treasures. I believe that if we would truly explore the darkness, we would find that hidden in the darkness are the weapons and the provisions we will need for the future success God is calling us to.

Diamonds are formed in the very depths of the earth at great pressure. One of the deepest mines in the world goes down almost 2000 feet into the earth to find the treasure of darkness. Gold has always been very precious and valuable. In Africa, there is a gold mine that descends 2.5 miles into the earth. The only light in these mines is the light people bring. The miners work hard for what seems like small amounts. There is far more rock, dirt, bugs, and mud in the mine than the precious diamond and ore. However, the value of the diamond far exceeds the effort to get it.

What then is the treasure of the darkness that God has for us? What are we exploring the darkness to find? It is wisdom. It is knowledge. “and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,” (Proverbs 2:3–7, NIV84) It is the wisdom that carries with it the power of God. “When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!” (Mark 6:2, NIV84) It is the wisdom that demonstrates the power of God supernaturally in the natural.

If we can find the strength to explore the darkness, if we can shed the light of God onto the walls of darkness, sludge and mud that are pressing on us and encroaching on us and reminding us daily that we are only a moment from death, we may begin to see the diamond and the gold. If we can explore the darkness, we may find that when we leave the darkness, we will carry weapons of wisdom and authority that will change the darkness of others.

This place of darkness is our place of death. It is a place where each of us is alone. No one else goes on this journey into darkness with us. It is the place where we are forgotten. It is the place where we have to work hard and cannot see the results of our work. It is only when we decide to explore the darkness, that we begin to understand God’s purpose for the darkness.

“”There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness; he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man; far from men he dangles and sways. The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire; sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold. No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon’s eye has seen it. Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there. Man’s hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. “But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.” (Job 28:1–13, NIV84)

It is our choice in the darkness to either explore it or to run from it. Those who run will never find the provision and the weapons for their future destiny. Those who explore the darkness will need to face their own depression, discouragement, fear, doubt, despair, hopelessness head on. Those who explore the darkness, will need to begin to believe the only source of light which is the promise of God’s word.

Did God really say???? Did God really promise??? Is God’s Word true??? When those promises are applied to our own discouragement and fear, we will begin to see the light in our darkness and soon the treasures that are around us in the dark and secret place will belong to us. If we explore the darkness of our hearts with the light of the Word of God, we will find that we too will grow in wisdom and supernatural authority. Your power with the Word of God spoken to others depends on how much of the Word of God you first applied to yourself.

There is no place so dark that the Word of God cannot shine forth to reveal the treasure of the darkness.

Dark Night of the Soul

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