| by Chuck Missler
This is a book about faith – faith in the "night seasons." It’s about having faith in God when our lives and everything around us appears to be crumbling and falling apart. How do we have faith and trust in God then?
God is working out His perfect will into the tapestry of each of our lives, and even though we might not fully comprehend what He is doing, we must trust His skill as the Master Craftsman. Father, indeed, knows best. The question is, do we really trust Him? Sometimes it seems that He finds a new way to ask us that question every day.
God’s will for each of us is not only doing what He asks, but also accepting, with praise and thanksgiving, all that He allows. God alone holds the final piece to our puzzle, and only He knows "the end from the beginning."
"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 NRS)
This book will attempt to discern what the Scripture says is God’s will. Not only His will in the "good" times, but also His will in our dark times. Understanding God’s will in these night seasons will help give us the faith we need to get through them. If we understand what God is trying to accomplish in each of our lives, then it will be easier to weather the storms.
If we don’t understand what God is doing, we will either fall away and lose our faith in the darkness, or we will end up frustrated and defeated as we try to battle harsh events in our own strength. As Hosea says, "The people who do not understand will fall." (4:14)
It is certainly true: a lack of understanding leads to confusion and doubt. And doubt will affect everything we think, say, and do. Let’s remember, faith is not "believing in spite of the evidence"; faith is obeying in spite of the consequences.
Prayerfully, this book will help us to learn to see through the darkness with sanctified eyes, to have the boldness to enter God’s presence and the faith to remain there, regardless of what is going on around us.
In the following pages, we will explore (with many personal stories and much practical application): what God’s will is; what true faith is; what the night seasons are; why God allows them; what He is accomplishing through them; and finally, but most importantly, what are some of the incredible blessings that come because of them.
As with Nan’s previous books, my editorial involvement has been minimal. This book, too, is principally the result of her diligence and one of the many fruits from the dark valley we have traversed together, with Him.
Love, joy and peace do not come from the absence of trials, but simply from the presence of Jesus.
In His Name,
Chuck Missler
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho |
