Turning To God In The Darkest Hour

Have you ever been in the situation which is totally bleak?  You are facing an unexpected economic crisis and you could lose your house.  Or the doctor just gave you a terminal cancer diagnosis.  Or certain people have let you down truly badly.  Or perhaps you have mucked up bad? It is the darkest hour for you.

In Exodus 32, while Moses was away on a spiritual pilgrimage for just 40 days, the people backslid horribly. It was not that they got lazy in their spiritual walk.  They built a golden calf, an idol and worshipped it.  A total abomination to God.  And worse, Moses’ own brother Aaron was the one who built it!  This was the darkest hour for Moses and the people of Israel.  That would be like my wife Lai Ling and I went on a sabbatical for 40 days to seek God only to come back and to our horror, discover that this is no longer Hope Church but Hare Krishna Church. 

Now things got worse, God was so upset with their abomination that He declares He will no longer go with them to the Promised Land.  For He might end up wiping them out because of their continual resistance. He will only send an angel to represent Him.  They had mucked up so bad, they have no place to hide their faces! And God concurs they have mucked up so bad, that He does not want to see their faces at all! 

Everything seemed lost!  So what was left?  But the amazing thing is this.  In the midst of the darkest hour, Moses came to his most incredible experience of God!  Perhaps you might be in your darkest hour. Or you might encounter that one day. Yet like Moses, your darkest hour can turn into the brightest day!  How can this be so?  If we learn some lessons from this passage.

TURN FROM IDOLATRY TO GOD

Exodus 33:7–11 (NIV) 7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

In those days, before they built the Tabernacle of Moses as we learnt about in chapters 25 to 30, there was a temporary tent that Moses had set up outside the Israelite camp area. It was known as the Tent of Meeting because there Moses met with God.  The cloud and pillar of smoke would move there when God met with Moses. When the phrase “face to face” is used, it is intended to mean have a one-to-one or personal meeting rather than a literal face-to-face.

This passage was included to explain how Moses would often meet with God.  This provided the context of the current meeting that Moses had with God.  What is important for us to note is that after God declared He was fed up with them and would not go with them any longer, Moses did not just throw a tantrum and walked away.  Or resigned himself to accept the decision.  Or got all bitter and discouraged. So what did he do?

Turn back to God

What Moses did was turn to God and sought to meet with God.  That was the key.  The Israelites had fallen into idolatry, and it was necessary to turn back to God. Moses took the initiative in v12 “Moses said to the Lord...”.  Moses recognise that the people had turned away from God and he had to turn to God first, to help the rest turn back to God.  Zechariah 1:3 (NIV) Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. 

What is the lesson for us?  Perhaps we ended up in our darkest hour because we have somehow turned away from God.  Perhaps we slipped just that little away from God and failed to listen to Him.  Perhaps we disobeyed God!  Perhaps something else became an idol in our hearts – our money, our career, our girlfriend/boyfriend, our needs, etc.  Perhaps we thought we could just have a little more of something but now we cannot let go.  It is like the traditional way of catching monkeys.  A small hole is cut in a coconut big enough for the monkey to put its hand in.  Then a bright shiny object is put inside and the coconut tied to a tree.  A curious monkey will put its hand inside to grab the shiny object.  Because its hand has formed a fist, it cannot pull out its hand. So the monkey is caught by its greed.  The only way to escape is to let go, but the monkey simply cannot conceive of doing so.  So too are we often caught by our idolatry.

Let go of the idolatry.  The key is to turn back to God.

Turn not to human solutions

Moses did not just convene a meeting and say, “Fellas, as you know, God will no longer be with us.  But we can sort this out.  Let’s do some SWOT analysis of our situation and make some smart, creative strategic decisions to get us out of the mess.  Maybe we can rely on the Americans military.  Smart bombs, stealth fighters, high-tech warfare.  We will blitz our enemies!”

One of the greatest mistakes we could ever do is to turn to a human solution in our darkest hour.  Isaiah 31:1 (NIV) Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.

What we need is God Himself to intervene!  Now there is nothing wrong in committee meetings, in SWOT analysis, etc.  There is a time and place for such meetings and planning.  But first, we need God!  Sometimes the hardest thing to do when we face our darkest hour is to meet God.  Some just want to drink their problems away.  Some just want to run away.  Some just want to lie in bed.  Some just want to blame somebody.  Some will desperately grasp at straws.

But the key is to turn to God.  When David and his men were in a place called Ziklag, they came to their darkest hour.  The Amalekites had raided Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30:2 - 6 (NIV) 2 and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. 3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.  4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep...   6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

The key that turned the whole situation around was that David determined to meet with God at that crucial time.  And because David met with God, he found strength in God.  As a result, he was able to motivate his men to pursue after the Amalekites and regain all that they lost plus more!

In our darkest hour, we should not sink into despair but sink into God’s hands.

In our darkest hour, we should not sink into despair but sink into God’s hands instead!  There we will find grace.  There we will find the answer!  Jeremiah 15:19 (NIV) Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me...”

TURN FROM FAILURE TO FAVOUR

Exodus 33:12–13 (NIV) 12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

In chapter 32 the Israelites failed God.  But in chapter 33, Moses resolved not to remain in failure.  He did something about it. Moses moved from failure to favour before God. Moses pleaded with God to show him how to remain in God’s favour. This revealed his determination to continue to find favour before God. Moses understood that unless he continually walked in God’s favour, the whole exodus could end up in vain. So he pleaded with God.  So masterful was His pleading that God immediately agreed to continue to go with them.

No matter what has happened, we must get back into God’s favour.

Why?  God was obviously very pleased with Moses heart to remain in God’s favour, no matter what. No matter what has happened, we must get back into God’s favour. Perhaps we have mucked up and fallen out of God’s favour. Then repent, turn around, confess and seek to find God’s favour again.  God will receive us back!  1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

God has been good to Hope Church over the last 15 years, we have continually seen the church grow and seen God’s blessings.  I believe a critical reason is because we have determined to remain in God’s favour.  Psalms 5:12 (NIV) For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.

This involves keeping to God’s principles, to being faithful to the things God has called you to.  To maintaining integrity in all that you do.  So do not compromise in all that you do. If there is sin or compromise, you must deal with it.  With love, grace and mercy – but you must deal with it.

It is far better to please God than to please men. 

It is far better to please God than to please men.  I have had to make a number of very tough decisions over the years.  Decisions that have not always made me friends.  But I stuck with it because it is more important to find favour before God than before men. 

TURN OBSTACLE INTO OPPORTUNITY

At that time, Moses had a huge obstacle.  God Himself was reluctant to continue to be with them.  Otherwise, He might destroy them all.  If you are familiar with the rest of Biblical history, God did destroy many of them.  But that is another story and another lesson. 

With God, the darkest hour can turn into brightest day. 

Sometimes when we hit our darkest hour, we may be discouraged and feel like giving up.  To throw in the towel. Because the obstacle looks too huge! But with God, the darkest hour can turn into brightest day.  Moses discovered this.  What are some ways that obstacles can turn into opportunities?

Opportunity to learn what really matters

Exodus 33:14–17 (NIV) 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”  17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Sometimes we may not understand what the most crucial things are or may forget about it until the darkest hour.  The people of Israel had taken the Presence of God for granted and it was only upon God’s threat to withdraw His presence that it became obvious they needed God’s Presence.  That is why Moses pleaded for God’s Presence to be with them.  Without God’s Presence, Moses knew that the nation would fail in its destiny. It was not worth continuing. But with God, victory is certain.

It is God with us that makes all the difference. Men may fail but God is faithful.

Moses also realises that it is God’s Presence that distinguishes the Israelites as God’s people.  For it is God with us that makes all the difference.  When God is with us, things will turn out well in the end.  It gives us tremendous security to know God is with us.  Men may fail but God is faithful.   In the end, it is not so much the leader, but whether God is with us!

Loren Cunningham and the YWAM leadership were convinced that God wanted them to purchase a ship to use as a means of outreach into the islands. God’s providence seemed to be leading their plans. Loren saw the 450-foot ship the Maori in 1973 and made a deposit for it for $72,000 provided by a English businessman.  Cunningham recalled, “Every day, we saw some new release for the ship—either a volunteer or money or a special offer… Everything seemed to be falling into place, and the fulfillment of the vision of the ship was happening fast”. 

Progressively, the amount of time, energy and focus required to prepare the ship increased.  Then one night Cunningham had a dream.  In the dream the ship was finally ready at the dock. There was much celebrations and the ship sailed off.  Yet as he looked upon the dock, he noticed a sole man left behind on the dock. It was Jesus.  It dawned upon him that YWAM had focussed so much upon the gift, they had forgotten the Giver. But it was too late.  Mysteriously, the flow of money, gifts and volunteers that had been streaming into the project mysteriously stopped, and within a matter of weeks the plans for purchasing the Maori were sunk. Cunningham called the British donor to inform him that their venture had failed and why it did.  The godly businessman told him that the most important think is that YWAM had learnt the lesson.

If we learn the lessons well, we will come out wiser, stronger, and more able to fulfil God’s destiny. 

When we face our darkest hour, do not be dismayed.  But ask ourselves what important lesson does God want us to learn?  If we learn the lessons well, we will come out wiser, stronger, and more able to fulfil God’s destiny.  As I observed great man and women used of God, they learned their lessons even from the darkest hours and came out stronger.  So don’t be afraid of those dark hours but learn from it. Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Opportunities to encounter God

Exodus 33:18–23 (NIV) 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

The darkest hour can become a glorious opportunity for God’s intervention! 

Moses had the audacity to ask to see God’s glory!  Moses turned the darkest hour into great opportunity!  And God promised Moses that he will encounter God’s glory like never before.  The darkest hour turned into the brightest moment because Moses responded with humility and purity of heart.  The darkest hour can become a glorious opportunity for God’s intervention!  Not all is lost, if we will have faith.

CONCLUSIONS

We may have mucked up bad before God.  Yet will you determine to turn back to God?  To find favour before God rather than men?  To learn the lessons that God intended you to learn?  Then you will return to God’s favour eventually.

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