The Ministry Of The Night

“… AND THE EVENING AND THE MORNING were the first day." Gen. 1: 5

"For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". Psa 30:5

THE MYSTERY OF DIVINE DEALINGS:

God’s way is not our way neither His thoughts our thoughts. There are mysteries undecodable which put God where He forever belongs—beyond the scrutiny of the brightest mind of men. “His greatness is unsearchable and His understanding infinite.” Ps. 145: 3. The scripture also says that the secret things belong only unto the Lord our God but those things that are revealed belong unto us. Deut. 29: 29.

In other words, no matter how probing the minds of man can be, he can only understand those things that are revealed to him. This basic understanding helps a man of wisdom not to rationalize away whatever he cannot understand in his experiences as he walks along the road which the sons of Adam have had to tread since the beginning of time. There are events that come our way and we have not the faintest idea of their explanations but are justified as we echo the voice of the prophet of old when he was asked, “Son of man, can these bones live?” To which he answered, “O Lord God, THOU KNOWEST. Ez. 37: 3. There are mysteries of God’s dealing with us sons of men which He allows for our eternal benefits, the understanding of which He kept from us for our own good.

THE MINISTRY OF THE NIGHT:

I find it personally inexplicable why God made man’s day to always start with evening. Why not bright day all through? “And the evening and the morning were the first day” Gen. 1: 5. In Ps. 30: 5 the scripture says “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Why going through the agony of the night before the breaking forth of the songs of the morning?

It is said that Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Again “though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered.” Matt 4: 1; Heb. 5:8. Is it not a mystery that He who knew no sin had to go through suffering to learn obedience? Why the thorn before the crown? Could this be part of divine design that resurrection does not come until there is a crucifixion? Why should He be led, not by the flesh or the world, but by the Spirit to be tempted of the devil?

Modern day believer will be at loss in fathoming these experiences Jesus was subject to.

When we go through tough and trying times we reason that God has decided to fold up His umbrella of love with which He shields us from the effect of scorching sun. We cry. We look for the alternatives. If His solution does not come here and now we feel offended and follow the path of least or nil resistance. We often forget that even Jesus, our Captain, in the words of the scriptures, was made perfect through suffering! Heb.2: 9, 10.

THE THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING-

has been neatly obliterated from modern day Christian beliefs. Brethren, like A. W. Tozer said, we need to make room for mysteries. We may not be able to explain in details the reason we ride through certain tides of life but we must never lose touch of the fact of God’s faithfulness and care for us even in the midst of life’s furnace. It was the enraptured Rutherford, who could shout in the midst of serious and painful trials of life, “Praise God for the hammer, the file and the furnace”. After we have checked our lives and there is nothing that violates the demand of God, we must be rest assured that the enemy cannot put out our candles. No matter what the trial is in your life now count it an evening, a period of night. But as sure as God’s word is

your joy comes in the morning. “And the evening and the morning were the first day! Gen. 1: 5. Just as the Lord returned in the power of the Spirit after His wilderness experience, child of God, you would come out of the night into the glorious manifestation of the power of the day.

The night you are passing through may be as dark as hell, but at the enterance of the light of His Word through faith, your darkness will disappear at the same speed it came. It is well.