In spite of most Pastors being charlatans and fraudsters, there are a few good men and women in our pulpits. And this is a nod to them as well as to you. Because unless a Christian appreciates that the darkest hour is before dawn, honest pastors suffer.
Such honest pastors suffer because members join and before too long, they are in a dark place. Putting two and two together, they run away from that church. They fail to see that their breakthrough is just around the corner. Nobody told them that the darkest hour is before dawn.
Naturally, such believers also suffer, constantly throwing in the towel on the verge of their victory. They suppose that just because the situation appears tougher than when they started praying, it is getting worse. 
They fail to realize that the darkest hour is before dawn. Consequently, they move from church to church to church, always on the lookout for that elusive success.
The Children of Israel Failed To Recognize That The Darkest Hour Is Before Dawn
At some point in their history, the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt as you probably know. Their lives were filled with rigor. But they continued to bear it with great aplomb. In any case, what choice did they have? They were slaves and had been for generations.
After three hundred and ninety years, when they thought that life could not get any worse, it did. God heard their cries and perceived their sorrows. Therefore, He sent Moses to bring them out from under the oppression of slavery. Moses came and gave them the good news and to their credit, they believed him.
Supposing that on the verge of their deliverance, things should start improving, they were greatly disappointed. They did not. Furthermore, they became worse, a perfect example that the darkest hour is before dawn. Observe, God had already started the preparations for their ultimate deliverance and yet their situation got worse.
Embrace The Beauty In Affliction
Can you not picture some of them already walking as freedmen at the news that deliverance was at the door? But instead of improving, the situation became even more oppressive. Pharaoh asked the taskmasters to increase their toil. Now, instead of being supplied with straw, they had to fetch their own straw. And their output of bricks must not decrease.
The rigor in their lives increased exponentially. And naturally, they took it out on Moses, the only ‘pastor’ in view. You can imagine that if another deliverer was around, they would have switched. It is the same way we switch churches and pastors when the going gets tough.
Moses Too Did Not Know That the Darkest Hour Is Before Dawn
We do not realize that the darkest hour is before dawn. The children of Israel had no way of knowing that either. All they could sense was the extra suffering that Moses had brought on them.
These poor men and women. They were baffled and so was Moses. He supposed that by speaking to Pharaoh to let them go and worship God, things would improve. He must have forgotten God’s promise to harden Pharaoh’s heart. Or else, he did not know which way a hardened heart would manifest.
Either way, Moses was as perplexed as his compatriots, not being aware that the darkest hour is before dawn. He took the case to God. Once there, he narrated how he obeyed God’s instructions. And how that had now brought greater trouble on the people. Moses concluded his submission by demanding an explanation.
And, as you can imagine, they were in an extremely dark hour. Regrettably, God did not promise a respite from the evil, merely informing of more problems for Pharaoh. Obviously, they were in for the long haul of evil and they were far from happy.
But only because even their leader did not know enough to inform them that the darkest hour is before dawn. Because after that ‘hour’ was over – God does not reckon time the way we do – their deliverance came. After a series of signs and wonders, Pharaoh literally threw them out.
Free at last. Perhaps a few of the more astute ones reflected on their immediate past. If so, they would have appreciated that their darkest hour served as the precursor for their deliverance. They would have perceived that the darkest hour is before dawn.
Life Takes Process
Ask the average somewhat mature Christian and they will assure you that there is a process to life. We all know that we cannot arrive at the same time that we leave our departure port. However, most believers assume that process is like a conveyor belt, moving forward always.
They forget the forty years of going around in circles like hamsters on a wheel. We need to remember that that weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning. And, of course, the morning comes after the darkest hour.
Which is why it would not surprise me to find that I have addressed this issue in one or another forum. It is a subject that is dear to my heart. Because a lot of Christians miss the mark for the lack of just this one piece of knowledge.
They see the darkness and go to work – on their knees. Their goal is to dispel the darkness and remove themselves from under the problem. It is a great goal, one we all share. And then they become active in the service of the Lord. But rather than lighten, the darkness becomes deeper.
Appreciate That The Darkest Hour Is Before Dawn
These Christians become confused and bewildered. Why isn’t God coming to their rescue? Is He not all-powerful? Or have they been deceived? They are full of questions because they suppose that things should be getting better.
And all because nobody took the time to let them into the secret. The darkest hour is before dawn. The pressure of the birth pangs is greatest just before the baby pops out. They fail to realize that the fight is toughest just before the victory. And that the darkest hour is before dawn.
Yet, the concept appears everywhere in nature. Weather forecasters know it. Geographers are quite familiar with the concept. Permit me to point out that rogues know that the darkest hour is before dawn. (Please don’t ask me how I know this).
Which is why robberies don’t usually take place any time before midnight. Moreover, experienced robbers wait until 4 am to carry out their nefarious acts. They know that the darkest hour is before dawn and they need that extra bit of dark cover.
Don’t Give Up On The Brink Of Your Victory
Child of God, take heart. Because the darkest hour is before dawn, this very dark hour actually represents the herald of your dawn. Don’t give up. At least not now that your breakthrough is just around the corner. Which it is when the situation is at its toughest.
Regardless of the darkness of the night hours, knowing that the darkest hour is before dawn should facilitate endurance. Once you recognize that, you are able to hang in there until you accomplish success and victory.
Maranatha!
