There’s something interesting about midnight. At that very moment, yesterday dies and tomorrow is here. It may not seem like tomorrow because midnight is the darkest hour, humanly speaking, of the day. The void of light causes your hardships to amplify. Your situations and circumstances may still seem the same in the natural but they have new strength in the spiritual. Things may look dark but you’re one step closer to light breaking in. “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT) You now find yourself working with a new “batch” of mercy. Yesterday’s trouble may still be there but just knowing that the “light” is closer is so comforting. God’s handed you new mercy to make it. This is Heavenly currency, not the world’s. God showers His compassion and forgiveness on us afresh every day.
The Bible talks about two guys who were disciples of Christ preaching the new way of Jesus in Rome. People didn’t like it so they made accusations against them and city officials ordered them to be thrown in jail. “So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” (Acts of the Apostles 16:24-26 NLT) Things looked extremely dark for the men but that darkness was no match for Almighty God! Around the midnight hour, they reminded God who He was and God showed up in a mighty way. He literally set the prisoners free!
Our lives have turmoil in them. It’s not if you encounter tough times, it’s when. Who or what your source of strength and foundation is, will be the key to your survival. If you are depending on your financial status to get you through a terminal illness diagnosis, you may be in for a hard reality. If you’re counting on people to be your source of peace, you will most certainly be disappointed. If your title at your place of employment was able to hold your marriage together, you would never have to search for counseling. The problem with all these things is not that they are bad things. They just, in and of themselves, do not have the power to get you through the dark times. Only The Light of the world that’s able to drown out the darkness has the power to get you through hardship. Anything this world offers, has some sort of darkness in it. Even the most well meaning family member can still let you down. Jesus IS The only One who absolutely cannot and will not fail. He faced the world we live in with all of its hardships but did it without sin. There’s no darkness in Him! That’s why He wears the crown of Lordship. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT) This is the victory Jesus secured for us. This is the answer to the darkest hours of our lives.
He’s always ready to help. He will shine His Light in the dark crevices of our situations and expose the intruders. He will fight our battles for us every time. Nothing is able to stand up to Jesus. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5 NLT) This is The Hope we profess. This Assurance wipes every tear and hears every cry in the midnight hour.
Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.
