Daily Devotionals

John Gossner's Treasury

Devotional: October 19th

As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work; so am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. Job 7:2-3. Thou makest darkness, and it is night. Psalms 104:20.

We should have to reject the providence of God in the lives of all the heroes of faith and patience, if we did not follow in their footsteps, if we did not admit that even the most enlightened, believing Christian, must be led into deep darkness and black nights in order to become thoroughly enlightened and experienced. Was not Job a man in whom God was pleased? Was he not guided by the Lord? Listen to what he has to tell you. Hear how he often was in spiritual darkness for several months at a time. No hireling longs so for rest, no servant in the heat of the sun longs so for the shadow, as the soul walking in dark ways longs for light and comfort from the Lord. Mark this saying of Job, ’’Wearisome nights are appointed to me" not such nights as the vicious, the covetous, the careworn have, who are troubled and kept awake by the superfluous sorrows of greed or unbelief, by lust and revengefulness. No, the wearisomeness of these nights consisted in inward struggles against that spiritual darkness in which the Lord hides Himself with His light and leaves the soul to itself until it breaks forth in sighs and presses through in prayer and supplication, and the clearly beaming face of the Lord again shines upon it. David says that the Lord makes this darkness, this night. He gives and withdraws the light for certain reasons. He makes darkness and light in the soul that it may know where to turn in order to obtain light. Lord, make Thy face to shine upon us and we shall be saved.

To mine His Spirit speaketh

Sweet words of soothing power,

How God to him that seeketh

For rest, hath rest in store

How God Himself prepareth

My heritage and lot,

And though my body weareth.

My heaven shall fail me not.