The Secrets of God's Providence

 "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him" (Ps. 25:14).

There are secrets of Providence which God's dear children may learn. His dealings with them often seem, to the outward eye, dark and terrible. Faith looks deeper and says, "This is God's secret. You look only on the outside; I can look deeper and see the hidden meaning."

Sometimes diamonds are done up in rough packages, so that their value cannot be seen. When the Tabernacle was built in the wilderness there was nothing rich in its outside appearance. The costly things were all within, and its outward covering of rough badger skin gave no hint of the valuable things which it contained.

God may send you, dear friends, some costly packages. Do not worry if they are done up in rough wrappings. You may be sure there are treasures of love, and kindness, and wisdom hidden within. If we take what He sends, and trust Him for the goodness in it, even in the dark, we shall learn the meaning of the secrets of Providence. --A. B. Simpson

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You may be in a dark place right now and nothing resembles the promise. You know, that promise that came through a vision from God. At one point, the vision was lucid and vivid, but now the shadows or darkness have distorted the image of that once clear portrait of your future.

Now it seems that all you see is disappointment, desolation, and despair. The vision has more of a resemblance to a nightmare than a dream. Do not lose hope. Do not allow your faith to be thwarted. For God's Word has promised that the consultation and intimacy of the Lord is with those that revere Him. God is using the darkness to create an environment of intimacy with you. He is drawing you closer to Him through the disappointment.

It is this moment of intimacy and consultation that He will strengthen, establish, and reassure you of your purpose and destiny. The darkness is not to be feared. It may not resemble the vision of the dream, but make no mistake about it, it is an extremely important part of the process. The enemy would have you believe that the darkness is an indicator of God's absence, but God dwells in the darkness (1 Kg.8:12, 2 Chronicles 6:1). Through the study of the infallible Word of God, we learn that God dwells in the 'gross darkness":

Ex 20:19-21
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.  20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.  21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness (#6205) where God was.  KJV  

Deut 4:11-12  NKJV  
"Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. (#6205) 12 And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.  NKJV  

Deut 5:22  22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, (#6205) with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.  KJV  

1 Kings 8:12
Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in thick darkness.  (#6205)

Let's look at the primitive root of the Hebrew word translated Darkness:

GROSS DARKNESS

`araphel
OT:6205 `araphel (ar-aw-fel'); probably from OT:6201; gloom (as of a lowering sky):
KJV - (gross, thick) dark (cloud, -ness).

`araph
OT:6201 `araph (aw-raf'); a primitive root; to droop; hence, to drip:
KJV - drop (down).

God is present, even in the gross darkness. Do not be dismayed by the darkness, although it doesn't resemble the original image of your vision is carries within it the very providence of that vision. God is working in your darkness to facilitate your dream. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace