The One Who led you to this, will be the One to lead you through this.
Remember Psalm 23? We discovered a potential nugget within the text. Between verse three and four the text changed in the mode. It begins with: “Yea, though” meaning, even though. Even though I am going through the “valley” I am not alone and because I have God, I have no need of want. Many other examples fill the Bible demonstrating how God led people into dark circumstances and never left them. These same characters in midst of terrible times showed incredible resolve and more importantly, a steadfast allegiance to the Lord during the trouble.
An easy go-to character study for those who go through dark places is Steven. A servant-deacon of Jerusalem church, he demonstrated a unique surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s control. We find his story in Acts 7.54-60. He was confronted by the religious elite, preached a message, then was killed for his statements of faith. After his discourse with them verse 54 says, “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” At that point most contemporary believers would say, I’m out! Here we see another believer like David surrendered to go forward in the midst of the dark place knowing Who put him there. Verse 55 explains, “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,” but he, Is our indicator. It is like the even though from Psalm 23. He didn’t stop there, “And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God”(56). Obviously this wasn’t within his own power to do such a thing. It was of the Holy Ghost as we see in verse 55. The observers didn’t care though, as 57 and 58 states, “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” Here is a good example of 20/20 hindsight vision. Now that we are 2000 years removed from this event we see more clearly one of the probable reasons for Steven’s dark place. This event made impact on the future Apostle Paul, here named Saul. Paul mentions this as one of many encounters he had with Christians as he persecuted them (Galatians 1.13; 1 Timothy 1.13; 1 Corinthians 15.9). Truthfully we may never know why we are in a dark place or a dark time for that matter. There are times when God reveals these truths to us, other times He simply rests with us in it, silently.
Steven’s example to us is the most extreme example one could have. He was murdered because of his love of Jesus. His example is not just the valley of the shadow of death, that is death itself! (59-60) “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Wow, such a Spirit-filled response! He literally acted just like Jesus did on the cross; overflowing with love and forgiveness to those killing him. It was as if the Spirit of Christ was in him. In fact, it was. Jesus promised His Spirit within us and He does indwell us at the point of salvation. From then on it is our responsibility to commune with Him and follow His leadership in all our ways, in all places, no matter how dark. He is to be our guide. He drove Jesus into the wilderness and took care of Him; He drove David into a valley and took care of him; He drove Steven into this dark place and took care of him too. Steven was already full of the Holy Ghost according to verse 55, “being full of.” Because of this, the Spirit took over and took him through this very dark place.
In perspective of this passage, how dark is your place? Is this dark time in your life as dark as you thought; now that you have looked into what Steven went through? God Is Faithful!
The One who led you to this, will lead you through this; if you surrender the circumstance and more importantly yourself to Him.