The Silver Lining
Just as every dark thunder cloud has its silver lining, so there is a bright side to these dark and evil days. The more chaotic and dismal world conditions become, the sooner the Prince of Peace will appear.
Remember that darkness – all types of darkness – is one of the signs of the closing of this age and the commencement of the New Age. “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” Isaiah 60:2, We can feel cheered by these prophetic words, recognizing the darkness for just what it is, an indication of Our Lord’s near approach.
Already we are beginning to see a glimmer of light in this increasing darkness. Though evil is very much in the news and makes its presence felt upon every side, that also is a sign of the end days. Evil appears to be in the ascendant, but that is because evil is always noisy, whereas righteousness is quiet and almost silent. There is a tremendous increase of good for those-who have the eyes to discern it. But the evil in our midst is noisy, forceful and pushes itself forward. On the other hand the good and the righteous in our midst are quietly working. Preparations for our Coming King are going on. This work does not display itself nor is it showy. Righteousness works; behind the scenes. Sometimes one is hardly conscious that it is working at all, Though silent, it is actually much stronger than evil. Remember that our Lord warned that this would be so, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” Luke 17:20 Thus we must not expect the Kingdom work to make any great headway or be noticed by the average person.
The unseen things are the permanent ones, while the things we can see are the temporary ones. These temporary things have a very limited existence, a few hundred years at most. Then they disintegrate and pass away. But the unseen things, the things of the spirit, are the real and enduring ones.
As the world conditions darken and grow worse day by day, let us never lose sight of the fact that there is, indeed, a silver lining to these thunder clouds. Soon the Sun of Righteousness will arise. And if God appears to have cast off His people, remember the many promises of a glorious return.
Remember the words of Hosea: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. . . And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever.” Hosea 2:14-19. And in 1:10, “… and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not My people, there shall it be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the Living God.”
We know that soon now the Lord will bring into operation the terms of the New Covenant, recorded by the prophet Jeremiah. “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jer. 31:33.)
“Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.” Isaiah 51:7. This verse seems very appropriate in view of all the noisy revilings that are going on. Sometimes it seems as if we are really witnessing the reviling and raging of the heathen that the Holy Scriptures mention: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” Psalm 2:1. Of late months we have seen much reviling within the U.N organization. Everything we do or say is misconstrued and leads to trouble.
However we are keeping the Fast that God has ordained – granted that we are doing it unconsciously and not knowing its significance. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat they bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,” Isaiah 58:6-11.
Many people are distressed over the condition of our nation. However never let us lose sight of the fact that we are keeping God’s Fast. Our blind leaders are endeavouring to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and release the oppressed. Though blind, we are walking in the way of the Lord as He has chosen for us. Soon the darkness will turn to Dawning. Our light is designed to “rise in obscurity”, and that is exactly what it is doing.
The more the heathen rage, the sooner the Lord will come. As the heathen nations rant and storm and throw noisy threats at us, let us console ourselves by the words of Holy Writ. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision, Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.” Psalm 2:4-5.
We are almost at the end of another year. May we remind our readers to look for the silver lining. If your troubles “get you down”, look to the Lord for assistance, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Isaiah 59:1.