by Karen Blanchard
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI – Have you ever stumbled around a dark room in the middle of the night looking for the light switch? When you first got up, you may have had to get your bearings of where you were. Then as you began to feel your way around the room, you may have started to feel things that are familiar, and it was then you were able to guide yourself to the light.
Often in our lives we are walking in the dark of the circumstances we are facing. It might feel that we are fumbling our way through the dark reaching out our hands just to feel something familiar; something we can grasp and hold onto.
Having been in this pandemic for two years now, we face days that seem uncertain and difficult to navigate. Yet through all the darkness and confusion, we can hold onto the promise that God is always with us. The verses below are a few of my favorites to help remind me of this promise:
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
I am not sure what you are currently going through, but I do know that you aren’t going through it alone. If you are a follower of Christ and have surrendered your life to Him, then you have the Holy Spirit in your heart to guide you and comfort you as you navigate the road ahead.
One thing God has taught me over the last few years is how to shift my mindset when I am facing something difficult. Instead of focusing on what I am missing out on or what isn’t going the way I had hoped it to go, I begin to ask the Lord to reveal to me where he is working. I ask him to teach me what he wants me to learn through the situation that he has allowed me to be in. When I begin asking God these questions, he begins to answer.
I remember reading this verse a few years ago and it really resonated with me.
I will give you hidden treasures, 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.
This verse is a great reminder that there are treasures to be found in the challenging circumstances we go through in life. It is during our sufferings or trials that we face, that God will reveal more of himself to us and teach us things that we would never have learned had we not gone through that difficult situation. Now when things are hard, I try to remember to look for the treasures in the darkness. They are secret riches that are only given when we look past the circumstance and ask God to reveal himself to us.
Next time you are facing hardship, don’t forget to look for the hidden treasures. They are there waiting to be found. Once you find them, remember to thank God for them and for allowing you to come to know him in a deeper, more intimate way. These treasures in the darkness are God’s way to remind us that he is right there with us in the middle of our trials.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township. She enjoys mentoring and discipling women and also leads women’s life groups through her church. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be. She is on staff at Lakepointe Church and loves being part of what God is doing in the Metro Detroit area!