Treasures in the Dark

“When you meet Jesus face-to-face, your hardships will have given you a taste of what He went through to purchase the promise of your resurrection. And your loyalty to Him in your sufferings will give you something concrete to offer in return. For what other proof could you bring of your love if this life left you totally unscarred?” – Joni Eareckson Tada

This week has been one of the hardest in our lives as false accusations and charges made by somebody who had been my husband’s closest friend.

While dealing with the hurt, sense of betrayal and grief God has met us over and over. I am living in the Psalms and a few other passages. Our desire is for truth to prevail and that we leave all vindication and judgement to our righteous, just and capable God.

Below I am sharing the verses and insights God has used to sustain me in this hard week and am confident will continue to sustain me in this ongoing trial.

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. – 1 Peter 4:19

While going through this trial I need to entrust all to my faithful Creator and continuing serving others and doing good.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. – Psalm 37:3-8

As I walk through this I need to trust God and do good be committed to Him and delighting in Him and wait for God to reveal our righteousness.

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Even in season of heat and drought of suffering we can bear fruit! We are planted in by the living water of Christ and can drink deeply from Him and His Word.

So God is revealing to me I am to continue in doing good and bearing fruit for Him and His glory.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me- then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me- then I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend.

14 We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. – Psalm 55:12-14

He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. – Psalm 55:18

Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. – Psalm 55:22

David understood the sense of betrayal by a close friend as does Christ with one of the twelve betraying Him. God is the one who will be my safety, redeem me and sustain me.

I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. – Isaiah 45:3

I need to seek for the treasures in the darkness. To see God’s loving comfort, sustaining grace, faithfulness, peace and joy not based on circumstances as some of those treasures of darkness. One treasure is before this hit God has orchestrated for me to be doing a Bible study in Psalms. Another is my husband and I had decided about three weeks ago to postpone listing our home this September and revisit that decision next spring. That would be too much to deal with in the midst of this. Another huge blessing is that usually relational stress will trigger a flare up in my chronic health issues and it has not. Probably the biggest treasure apart from Christ is we are not in this alone but have two other couples in the same boat and we are supporting and encouraging one another with God’s truths and prayers.

I am praying this time will not only lead to truth being revealed but will result in my growing in love and dependence on Christ.

How has God met you when falsely accused? What verses have sustained you?

Blessings,

Deb