Trust Through the Dark Brings Triumph in the Dawn

Any follower of Jesus can attest to experiences when the night of adversity seemed long, dark, and at times, nearly hopeless. For some, those nights are brief yet brutal. For others, those nights may last decades, slowly wearing away at our earthly hopes.

But for the one who remains steadfast in faith, even if holding on my a thread of hope, the day comes when light begins to dawn, sorrows are turned to gladness, and weeping is turned to a song of praise. As the Psalmist wrote:

“Weeping may tarry for the night, by joy comes in the morning. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.”

Psalm 30:5,11-12

The dawn may come in form of changed circumstances that we’ve long prayed for; it may come in form of a changed heart that begins to see God’s greater blessing as his work in us; or it may come through breathing our last and entering heaven’s gates where our faith is finally made sight.

But however it comes, the believer can have a sure hope in this: dawn will come.

Until it does, we must grasp the hand of our Savior, Shepherd, and Father, trusting that he will lead us through the night until the dawn breaks through the dark.

Believer, take hold of this confident hope today, whatever you may be facing right now – no true child of God will be lost in the dark of night. We have countless promises in Scripture that assure us of such truth. And you don’t need to take my word for it – take God’s, which has been proven through centuries.

Through the Old Testament –

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,
    and backward, but I do not perceive him;
 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
    he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
 But he knows the way that I take;
    when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
My foot has held fast to his steps;
    I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
    I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?
    What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me,
    and many such things are in his mind.”

Job 23:8-14

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer’s;
    he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

And countless Psalms –

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:9-10

He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:16-19

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 37:5-6

And throughout the New Testament –

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-7

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’

Revelation 21:1-4

Christian, the night may feel long, but the light will dawn again. You can’t put trust in circumstances changing in the way or timing you desire, but you can trust the One who rules over them. And he cannot be unfaithful to his promises.

In the precious words of puritan writer, Theodore Cuyler:

Trust through the dark brings triumph in the dawn.

Home is around the corner,

Sarah

If you’d like to read more on the hope we have in our sufferings, all three of Sarah’s books are being offered as a book bundle for only $25 at https://us.10ofthose.com/hope-in-suffering-bundle-3-books-by-sarah-walton-pack/.