The Darkest Hour

It has been said that the darkest hour is just before the dawn. I do not know if that is true scientifically speaking; however, metaphorically and Biblically… I completely agree.

No matter how dark the night is, the light of morning always comes!

The darkest day in history… the darkest hour… was when Jesus died on that cross. I can not begin to imagine how lost and hopeless those around Him must have felt. But little did they know that Sunday was on its way! That glorious Sunday morning when the sun shined its brightest… when the grave could no longer hold the Savior of the world!

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 (Psalm 30:5, NIV)

When things look the most impossible is when God moves! He likes to wait… (and sometimes wait…. and wait a little longer…) until a situation seems absolutely hopeless. He likes to wait until we have nothing left to hold on to but Him… until nothing makes sense but His promises… until everything is against us; then He brings the morning in all her glorious splendor.

The problem is that it is sometimes so dark, confusing, frustrating and painful that we want to give up. I believe many prayers do not get answered because we stop praying; the answer does not come in our timing, so we move on to other things or forge our own paths down roads on which we do not belong.

Over the last four years in my life I have kept a journal. The good, the bad and the ugly are all written down… pages and pages in numerous notebooks. I can not read most of my entries from that first year; there was too much pain involved and reading the words makes my stomach turn. But there are so many other pages filled with answered prayers: promises by God that have come to pass; dark moments that have been followed by bright mornings; so many nights of frustration turned into peace, joy and contentment. And when I look back through the entries, I realize that it was when I hung on to God’s word and His promises through the darkest hours that I saw the most beautiful sunrises!!

Oh, He is faithful….

“It is utterly crucial that in our darkness we affirm the wise, strong hand of God to hold us, even when we have no strength to hold him.” 

– 
John Piper

I have once again been going through a darker moment in my life, one filled with confusion. I have prayed asking for wisdom and clarity… asking for direction. I felt the frustration and darkness close around me… the struggle continued to worsen. I kept hearing His promises: “My plan… My timing.”

*sigh*

He has brought me, once again, to a place of complete faith and trust. It is an unsure place, filled with total reliance on Him. I know He has a plan… even though it is dark and I can not see it.

So I continue… each and every day, I continue to seek Him, praise Him and trust Him; I continue to look to Him to hold me, and to light my darkened path. For He who has promised is Faithful… the beautiful morning always comes!

Where are you today? Do you feel that your life and situation are surrounded by darkness? Do you feel frustrated? Angry? Ready to give up on the prayers you have been praying? 

Hang in there and don’t give up… a shimmer of light is on the horizon.

May you find the beauty in today,

Tara ♥

“He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

~ Leave me a comment, I would love to read YOUR thoughts~♥

Recent entries from my gratitude journal: (to read more about this, click here):

311. Beautiful Florida weather… it was perfect!

342. The little mustard seed… sometimes it just takes a little faith!

363. Snuggling with baby in the green chair!