Diamonds in the Dark

Look at this verse. Isaiah 45:3 says, and I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. The most valuable treasures are never just laying out in the open for anyone to pick up. Diamonds, gold, and orange oil. Some of the most valuable resources that we have that come from the earth are buried deep beneath the surface in the dark, where it's scary and dangerous and even costly to go after these resources. But if you succeed, you're rich. When I read this verse today, I couldn't help but think about the secret treasures that God has given me in the darkest moments of of my life. And those times when I had so many questions for God. Those times when you open up your eyes in the morning and for a brief second you forget about the painful circumstance that you're in the middle of. And then all the feelings come rushing back when you remember your reality. Have you ever been there? Sure, there are people who have been through a lot worse things than I have. But dark is dark, and when it's dark, it's scary. I had a friend tell me that she went to a restaurant where the entire experience is served in the pitch black dark. And she paid for this. She said that towards the end of the meal, she felt so panicky from being in the pitch black dark that she couldn't even finish her meal. She said, I just. I had to get out of there. Being in the dark is really scary if you focus on all the unknowns, if you only focus on getting out of the dark. But what if you stopped focusing on all the scary things in the dark and you started mining for the treasures that are there in those times of darkness? When I look back, even though God may not have answered all my questions, I knew that he was there with me in the dark. I think that I have felt his presence more in the in the dark than I have in those times of light. And did you catch the last part of the verse? It says, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. It's such a powerful thought to know that the God of the universe knows my name. He knows your name and he is with you in your pain. If you're in the dark, you might as well dig for diamonds. You can complain about your situation, or you can look around for the blessings. You can blame, or you can own. You can worry, or you can pray. You can numb and avoid your pain, or you can do the hard work of processing and pushing through and determining that I may not ever be the same, but I'm going to come out stronger on the other side than I was before. If it feels a little dark right now in your life, I want to encourage you. Dig for those diamonds. The most valuable treasures are found in the darkest places. And when the season ends, because I promise you this season for you will end, you will be walking away with priceless gifts that God built in you and that no one can take away. Hey, thanks for watching. I hope that encouraged you today. Make sure that you, like, subscribe and hit that bell to turn on notifications so that you don't miss out on other videos just like this one. And I'll see you back here next time.