The Dark Night

Acts 7:34 - "I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them."
Here we read of Stephen giving a summary message before the Sanhedrin of God and His dealings with Israel in the Old Testament. For those of you who don't know, this sermon cost Stephen his life as he was stoned to death and became known as the first Christian martyr. But my focus today is to remind you, that God sees and hears and knows exactly where you and I are at today. As His child, our struggles, frustrations, heartaches and failures are not hid from Him. The Lord sees every tear, hears every groan and in His perfect time will conclude the matter in our lives. Christ is the high priest who is touched with our feelings and infirmities (Hebrews 4:14-16) and yet at the same time supplies us with grace that is sufficient and strength that is made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). So child of God, take courage and know that, you are not alone, the darkness won't last forever and God is performing a deeper work in you and me than what we can see as of now. But realize that there is a purpose for the "Dark night of the soul." It was St. John of the Cross who penned these words:
"God takes us into a dark night. He weans us from all pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness. In doing so He is able to take away all these vices and create virtues within us. Through the dark night pride becomes humility, greed becomes simplicity, wrath becomes contentment, luxury becomes peace, gluttony becomes moderation, envy becomes joy, and sloth becomes strength. No soul will ever grow deep in the spiritual life unless God works passively in that soul by means of the dark night."