DATE: Sunday 19 April 2026
TOPIC: “WHEN THE CLOUDS GET DARK (I)”
TEXT: Ruth 1: 19-21; Job 3:1-6 & 11-13; John 13:7
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus answered and said to him, “what I AM doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” -John 13:7-NKJ.
In the selection of books read by the Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) a sermon, titled Dark Providences cleared in Due time, was preached on 02 July 1736 by the erudite Rev. Ralph Erskine, using the above memory verse. In it, he noted of Jesus that “amidst all His ways and workings we see and feel, yet His way is invisible, unsearchable and mysterious; and how small a portion of Him we know!”
Both Naomi and Job, in anguish of soul spoke like mortals because, as it were, His words and work; His promises and providence seemed to clash and contradict one another – this is the point of a DARK CLOUD. At this time, Ralph Erskine explained, that our Lord Jesus “doth not explain His mind at first; what He intends by such a work, promise and providence, until afterwards that subsequent works explain preceding works and subsequent providences explain preceding ones”.
During this period, we need to get to a point of conviction first, that what He does now, we do not understand. Our conviction should also rest on Jesus’ words in John 16:16-30 noting the dark clouds, weeping and anguish in vs 20-21 and the disciple’s response in vs 29-30; “now we understand…. Now we believe”.
PRAYER: Lord, I confess that I know in part, seeing dimly like in a mirror; I ask by Your Spirit, that You reveal Your doing, timing and will, so I understand un-ambiguously in Jesus’ name, Amen.