Darkness and Vision
Jan 19, 2021 at 5:59 AM
When the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. (Genesis 15:12, NIV)
As for the “thick and dreadful darkness,” I’m not quite sure what it means. There isn’t a clear scripture explaining where this darkness came from or its purpose.
Following Brother Oswald Chambers’ interpretation, in the thick darkness, what saints should do is listen to God, wait for God. Not rely on their own “torch” to do things, sometimes even “do things for God.” Genesis 16 is indeed a contrast: “not listening to or waiting for God, turning to rely on human cleverness and advice to act” (Abram listened to Sarai and took Hagar, which led to the birth of Ishmael).
This is what I need to practice. Always in a hurry to get to work, eager to take action. Be still and listen.
Why the rush to act? For me, there are several reasons: 1. Eager to prove myself; 2. Eager to find confidence by getting things done; 3. Eager to find satisfaction in completing tasks (though satisfaction has its positive aspects).
Am I still searching for confidence outside of God? Need to reflect on this today, especially at work and in relationships.
Thank God for:
- Reading Psalms and praying with others in WD. Especially reading the classical Chinese Psalms—the words are truly beautiful;
- Having discipline in my routine, able to exercise simply and regularly, keeping my body feeling comfortable;
- Having good communication with my daughter;