Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Out of Darkness Resurrection Came

Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of a depressed day, a teary evening, comes newest morning.
Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of injustice begetting anger comes stillness and reflection.
Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of failure producing shame comes learning and fresh perseverance.
Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of inferiority denigrating confidence comes the faith to risk anew.
Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of envying comparisons comes the insight to be content.
Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of lonely emptiness comes the courage to engage community.
Out of darkness resurrection came.
Out of depression comes the drive to hope for joy and peace.
***
Out of darkest hell, the Lord Jesus was resurrected. He descended before he ascended. As he was resurrected at the proper time, he will resurrect us in accordance with our reliance on himself. To trust him is to wait and determine to discern and then do his will. It will be horrid for a time. But afterwards we will gather a harvest of righteousness.
The harder life becomes the more resurrection life we might ultimately experience.
These are no dark principles without basis; they are wonderfully and perfectly biblical. We may thank God not for the dark time, but because he will bring us through it. Now what is biblical also doesn’t hope to change the world, but to adapt to being happy in any event. Such happiness is joy, to know that nothing can knock us off our kilter for long. But if we cannot be happy, and many times we cannot, we ought to pray for a stillness that transcends our understanding, while we suffer. Some aid. Some aid, we pray does come. And if it doesn’t seem to, we trust that God will sanctify in us growth and protect us in the meantime. Even in complaint we prove faithful if we do not entirely give up.
We will be struck down for a time, yet not destroyed. For, if we hope in Jesus, he will vindicate us through a way out — a resurrection of his Spirit’s making because we looked to him and were guided out of it.
***
Out of darkest hell, the Lord Jesus was resurrected. He descended before he ascended. He will resurrect us in accordance with our reliance on himself.
Having descended we, too, will ascend, but only if we continue to trust him, which is no easy thing.
Let’s remember, in all our difficulties, out of darkness resurrection came.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.

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