Do the treasures of darkness exist? Can devastating suffering bring forth good? The first time I heard the words “treasures of darkness,” I felt stunned. I was at a retreat for mothers of adult children with mental illness. Kay Warren, the co-founder of Saddleback Church, led the gathering. It was the first time some women had met other mothers bearing the same burden.
The retreat was filled with tears. Kay shared the heartache as well. She told us about a sleepless night when she was overwhelmed with despair.
She went down to her husband’s office and used a computer program to find every verse in the Bible that contained the word “darkness.” There were pages and pages of them.
When she read Isaiah 45:3, she gasped aloud. When she read the verse aloud, I felt the Holy Spirit urge me to pay attention.
“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.”
Kay speaks about this verse in theYouTube video below. Her presentation begins at 22:44 in the service.
I studied this verse when I got home. Looking at it in context, I found that it did have some specific prophetic meaning. So I looked to see if the Bible as a whole supported the idea that good things can come out of suffering and darkness.
And it does. It says that darkness and suffering can result in three types of treasure:
- Character
- Comfort
- Calling
First, character. The Bible repeatedly says suffering can result in a mature character and a deeper walk with God. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:10 that God Himself will restore us after suffering and make us strong, firm and steadfast.
Next, comfort. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that the God of comfort will comfort us, so that we will be able to comfort others. Our suffering becomes a treasure for others.
Finally, the Bible shows that suffering can become part of preparation for a particular calling or gift. Examples include Joseph suffering in Egypt, Moses’ wilderness years and David’s years of persecution.
A particularly useful example is Peter in his denial of Christ. This was self-inflicted failure based on overconfidence in his own abilities and just plain arrogance. Can you image Jesus telling you that you would deny him three times and responding that Jesus was wrong???? Yet Jesus redeemed that darkness, restored Peter and helped him to change through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Certainly my husband and I have found treasures of darkness. Our relationship with Jesus changed us so much. We didn’t realize how different we were until we went to a secular support group. We were the only Christians there. At breaks, one couple after another came up to us and said, “Why are you all right?”
Later, when we were unable to find a Christian support group, we joined a friend to develop one. We led Loving Someone With Mental Illness for 15 years, serving well over 100 families in our church. We still hear from some of them today. That was a treasure of darkness.
Our son’s future was derailed when he was diagnosed on the schizophrenia spectum at 19. Today he is 41. Just in the last year, he got well enough to get training as a peer specialist. He talks to people with addictions and mental illness in hospitals, homeless camps and food pantries to share his experience with treatment and help them connect with resources. He could not do that without his time of suffering. That’s a treasure of darkness.
For me, every day is a spiritual adventure, full of worship, deep peace and joy, and divine appointments.
“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.”
God is calling all of us by name. So let us patiently, joyfully, intentionally open our eyes and look for the treasures from our experiences. Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the Lord and help us to count it all joy.
You can learn about Kay Warren’s community for parents who have children with mental illness at Hope for Brighter Tomorrows.