students of jesus

Did you ever notice how sounds seem to carry further in the night? Or how, as you lie awake in bed, you hear the house settle and creak? Our hearing improves in the dark. In the stillness of night we notice the whispers around us. What if God is whispering in the dark? There’s reason to think so. In the darkness of difficulties and fear, God is speaking.

Jesus instructs us to listen in the dark—not only listen, but to repeat: “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” (Matthew 10: 26-27)

Matthew chapter 10 is all about the Lord’s instructions to his disciples. They are instructions to us as well. It’s a rich chapter. We are given authority and power. We are given mission and strategy. And the Lord also tells us to expect opposition and difficulty. Part of the good news is we can expect God to speak to us in the dark, and what we hear can be spoken in the light.

Consider the words of comfort spoken to Paul during the dark times of his affliction and pain.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What Paul heard in the dark, he spoke in the light. The comfort he received speaks to us today with the same power and hope. Perhaps that’s why Paul referred to the Father as “the God of all comfort,” and reminded us that the comfort we receive is a source of strength for others.

Our hearing improves in the dark because we are not distracted by motion, sight, or activity. In times of difficulty and conflict we have the opportunity to focus on the important and forget the trivial. God is not the author of pain or affliction; instead, he turns such times to his advantage by coming close to us, suffering with us, and whispering words capable of changing our lives—and the lives of others.

Dark and difficult times become the currency we use to purchase God’s wisdom and strength. Like all his blessings he wants us to share what we have received . . . what has God whispered to you in the dark? I’d love to know.