Treasures of Darkness: Finding God When Hope Seems Hidden
People generally consider dark times in life as times that are filled with pain, fear, anxiety, depression, loss, or sadness. Tara Soughers recognizes such moments in her own life. When hope seemed hidden, however, she encountered God. She tells us that she does not always recognize her times of darkness as grace-filled. “There are times when God seems absent in the darkness. There are times when I feel lost and even abandoned. But my journeys through the darkness have revealed God to me in ways that I could never have imagined.” She shares personal stories about dark times in her life and how she encountered God through the experiences. She invites us to embrace the darkness as an opportunity to experience the treasure of God’s love, presence, and power.
Soughers invites us to explore several biblical stories in which darkness plays a major role, and each of the scripture readings offers a unique treasure in the darkness. Psalm 139:12 proclaims a powerful truth about God. “Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.” God creates in darkness (Genesis 1). God gives us “life . . . the light of all people” in Jesus Christ (John 1:4). Abraham, Paul, Jacob, Job, Nicodemus, and Jesus encounter treasures from God in the darkness. As Soughers explores each biblical account, she offers a unique point of contact for contemporary Christians, treasures that can sustain us as we encounter darkness in our lives. Book contents contain:
Prologue: Discovering Treasures in Darkness
1. Darkness is as Light to You (Psalm 139:7-12)
2. Let There Be Light: Creation and Creativity (Genesis 1:1-5)
3. Count the Stars: Hearing God's Promise (Genesis 15)
4. Who Are You? Overcoming our Blindness (Acts 9:1-19)
5. Why Have You Forsaken Me? Bringing Life Out of Death (Matthew 27:45-56)
6. Wrestling with God: Transformation (Genesis 32:22-32)
7. Listen to this Dream: Enlightenment through Dreams (Genesis 37:1-11; 41:1-36)
8. Out of the Whirlwind: God as Mystery (Job 3:1-8; 38:4-21)
9. How Can These Things Be? Being Born Again (John 3:1-10)
10. Gate of Heaven: Encountering God Where Least Expected (Genesis 28:10-22)
11. The Light Shines in the Darkness: God's Self-Revelation (John 1:1-15)
12. The Night Is as Bright as the Day (Psalm 139:7-12)
Epilogue: Treasures of Darkness
Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion.
This book is ideal for use in local church book groups.
