When the darkness you are experiencing is God-ordained, don’t try to create your own light: ‘You who…walk in the light of your fires…will lie down in torment.’ Abraham decided to kindle his own fire when God’s promise of an heir didn’t materialise quickly enough. Tired of waiting, he decided to go it alone by fathering Ishmael, and ended up creating problems that would last for generations. God had already promised to liberate Israel, but Moses took it upon himself to do things his way. As a result he killed an Egyptian slave master and spent the next forty years in the wilderness (see Exodus 2:11-15). Peter promised to follow Jesus to prison and to death (see Luke 22:33), but because he didn’t wait for instructions he ended up lopping off an innocent man’s ear. When you’re in darkness by divine design you don’t have to be afraid, God will bring you through. Why are we so sure? Because the Bible gives us great promises like: ‘Light arises in the darkness for the upright’ (Psalm 112:4 AMP), and ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5 KJV). The forty days Moses spent alone on the mountain, Elijah’s stay on Mount Horeb, and Paul’s years in the Arabian Desert weren’t wasted experiences; they were part of God’s plan. Jesus said, ‘What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight’ (Matthew 10:27 NIV). Notice two things in this Scripture: 1) It’s in your worst moments that God gives you some of your best insights. 2) People will listen to you because you’ve ‘earned the right to speak.’ So sit tight and let God teach you things which can only be learned in the dark.