THE EVENING AND THE MORNING
While reading the creation story in Genesis 1, I noticed something I had not ever thought of before. Have you ever done that? Who knows how many times I have read, taught and illustrated that story to children through the years in their Bible classes? Then, after reading it again, all of a sudden you see something that you had not ever thought of? After each day of creation, God said six times, “So the evening and the morning were the first (second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth) day.” & “… on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” What do you see in that phrase told six times? The phrase “…the evening and the morning…” I wondered why He starts with evening and the end of His day was the morning.
I have realized through the years of studying the Bible, that God had men write the words that are the Bible, for a reason. John 21:25 tells us “And there are also many other things that Jesus did which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
Usually when I think about a day I think of daytime and then nighttime, the morning and then the evening. But God said “So the evening and the morning…” It started me thinking about when we go through the trials on this earth. There have been so many times that I have been in a dark trial that seems to go on and on forever. I have prayed and prayed during those times but I stay in that darkness. I wonder, has God even heard my prayers? Has He forgotten me? Nothing is changing, day after day. Am I going to be stuck in this dark place forever?
The answer to those questions is: yes, God is hearing our prayers, and no, you will not be stuck in that darkness. 2Corinthians 5:7 tells us “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” It is hard to see in the darkness. I have stubbed my toe so many times on furniture that has been in the same place for years, when I am trying to walk in the dark. That is the same way with our walk with God. We have to keep our faith during those dark times. We cannot see an end to it but God uses that darkness to teach us. He starts with that darkness to bring about new things in our life, in the light. We need to remember that if God allowed us to be in this darkness of the world, He will get us out of it. 2Corinthians 4:17 says “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” If every part of our lives started in the light, we would have no purpose for our faith to depend on Him.
All we see is the darkness and the negativity in the middle of the situation. I forget at times to still be thankful in the midst of a struggle. We have the example of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-34. They were in prison. In Bible times, the prisons were not like today. Instead of fingerprinting and taking a picture like is done today, they were beaten first. This passage says Paul and Silas feet were put in stocks. A stock was a wooden frame that secured a prisoner’s feet and hands. They were also put in the inner part of the prison. At midnight, they were singing and praying. They were praising God in the middle of this dark trial. I don’t know about you but I would not be in a mood to be singing. This was literally in the darkness, at midnight. I usually tend to wallow in my pain, try to fix a situation on my own and then I realize I have not talked to God about it. God did not leave them in this prison for long. God caused an earthquake to get those stocks off them, chains off all of the prisoners and opened the cell doors. The keeper of the prison started to kill himself. He knew if all of his prisoners were getting out of prison, that he would be killed for letting them escape. Instead, Paul told him to not kill himself. The guard dropped to his knees trembling, asking what he needed to do to be saved. He had also heard them praying and singing praises. Paul told him to believe in God. And then he and his household were baptized. God turned a dark situation into light. These men still had to go thru their dark trial. But they remembered to praise and thank God for His goodness in the middle of it. That is a part of our faith. Remember that God is working our trial for the best. God started this situation in the dark, just like He does in our trials. But the darkness was used to bring light to others.
Don’t go by your feelings about a situation but rather what you know through your faith. I can look back, now and see that God was right in the middle of those dark times with me. He was using it for my best future and to lead others to Him through my testimony. God is preparing you for the light. The dark makes us stronger, more confident. Maybe our darkness will help someone else. Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light! We become a light unto another. Just as the light from the moon, is a reflection of the sun, the light we give off to others, is a reflection of God’s Son.
2Peter 1:19 says, “…we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts…” Study the scriptures. Those words are what God wanted us to hear and follow the examples of the characters of faith.
Light is coming. There has not been a time in my life that the literal sun did not come up. There is a popular song by Danny Gokey called “Haven’t Seen it Yet.” These are the words I want to leave with you.
Have you been praying and you still have no answers? Have you been pouring out your heart for so many years? Have you been hoping that things would have changed by now? Have you cried all the faith you have through so many tears? Don’t forget the things that He has done before and remember He can do it all once more. It’s like the brightest sunrise waiting on the other side of the darkest night. Don’t ever lose hope, hold on and believe.
I love those last two phrases. That is so true. It is so dark right before the sun slowly rises. And that sunrise is so beautiful and bright. We just have to hold onto God’s promises, believe and hope. When you are in that darkness, and we all will go through it, remember the sun will shine once again. Don’t stay in that darkness. We have to reach for God’s light. Remember to pray and praise God. He is the answer to changing that darkness into the brightest light!
Why did God say the “evening and the morning?” I am not sure. Maybe one of the answers to that, is in our lives on this earth we go through dark times. But morning, light is coming. It always has and always will. Hold onto God’s promises. He is the light!
1John 1:5-7 reads “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Till next time!
Keela
