Light In Darkness (Psalm 112:4)

Who hasn't been through dark times of trials?  Through the midst of circumstances that try our faith, we feel alone and cannot determine the direction we should go.   I remember one such trial where I described myself as being in a boxing ring with the heavy weight champion.  It seemed as if each phase of the trial was like being pounded with lefts and right from the champ.  As a boxer in troubled cannot determine up from down, left from right or even sometimes where he is, so my trial left me dazed and staggering.

Praise The Lord for his word and the wonderful promises that it contains.  Psalm 112:4-5 says, Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  God promises that for those, who are upright, he will provide light or direction for them in the midst of their trial.  Most believers feel that they cannot have this or deserve it because they don't feel righteous.  What we must remember is that righteousness is both positional and practical.  Positional in that when God looks at you, he sees the righteousness of Christ.  This happened on the day that you trusted Christ as Savior.  Practical righteousness occurs as we confess sins committed and our relationship gets restored with The Lord.  What I need in order to claim the promise of this Scripture is to have Christ as Savior and to scripturally deal with my sins as they occur.  

If God's promises were to be based on our own righteousness or personal merit, nobody would ever measure up.  That is why he says, he is gracious, full of compassion, and righteous.  In the midst of the trial, God will deal with us by his grace.  God's actions towards us will be motivated by his compassion and we can always count that he will deal with us in a righteous manner.

So while in the midst of the darkest of trials, remember your position, confess your sins and expect light or direction to shine forth.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  (I Corinthians 10:13)