LESSON 4
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” (Exodus 13:21)
1. The third truth and third anchor is “a light in darkness” it is very necessary and most comforting anchor.
2. Of all of the painting I have seen of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea not one portrayed this third anchor of truth. Did you know that they crossed the Red Sea at night? God requires night travel, into darkness. God expected them to travel at night, we must really come to know this. It is better to know it than not to know it.
3. Someday we may will wake up in the middle of the night and wonder were we are going? We may simply think we are wandering aimlessly in a particularly distressful situation. It is good to know before we encounter the many difficulties which are related to night travel.
4. God takes us onward, traveling at night. How does God expect us to see? He gives us a light. God expects us to travel at night with a light. He lead the children of Israel by day and night and at night He gave them a light. Now the most difficult point of time is between the plunge into darkness and the finding f your flashlight.
5. There are two types of darkness: The first darkness is that which arises from sin. It is a darkness that is filled with unhappiness and leads the Christian to eternal death. The second type of darkness is darkness which the Lord allows within our inward part in order to establish and settle virtue. This is a happy darkness because it illuminates (revelation) our inward spirit, strengthens it and gives it greater light.
6. We must never rush out into the spiritual darkness in which we can suddenly find our self in. It would be well for us to stop all of our frantic running, struggling, and searching and just wait before the Lord. He will get our flashlight to us. If we can understand God gives light, then we have our third anchor.
7. God provides for us a light in darkness. This is an anchor which will help prevent us from falling upon the rocks or in a dung pit. There are some people who do not know God provides a light to walk through darkness. They go stumbling on and stumbling on and falling into all kinds of unpleasant messes, getting cut and bruised, and crying the blues.
8. They do not believe there could be a light in such intense darkness. They believe many things which are not true. How readily some believe the suggestions of the Liar and others while being slow to believe the Word of God. But for those who believe the truth, this third anchor is available.
9. Job wrote, “By His light, I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3) God gives us a light. We must see these times of darkness as a time we persevere in our inward pursuit. It is a manifest sign that God, in His infinite mercy, is seeking to bring us into the inward path. How good will be the results if we embrace these times with peace and with resignation. Such times are for our spiritual growth and develop.
10. As we persevere God will give us a light which grows and increases in the midst of darkness. Often it is in times of darkness wisdom and strong love are begotten. It is in times of darkness not in times of great outward spiritual joy that our self-nature and self-seeking is dealt a mortal blow. Images, ideas, wanderings, and other hindrances things which give us a distorted view of God and His ways are consumed.
11. Last of all the Lord uses darkness to purge us of our outward senses; this purging is necessary for our internal progress. Do not particularly try to seek a way out of darkness and most of all do not stop coming before the Lord as in our most faithful times and in those times when spiritual riches and blessing were at their highest.
12. Do not try to look for some emotion or even a tender devotion towards God. We must only express our desire to do His will and to be His pleasure. Otherwise we will simply go in circles throughout our lives and take not even one step towards our inward goal. An emotional experience with the Lord must not be our goal for it is not His goal.
13. In darkness God provides a light, an anchor, a truth to see which direction to do and how to proceed. Darkness is a wonderful place for only in darkness does God provide a light to see.
