“For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.” (Job 33:14-16)

What a marvelous token of His love to us-ward. Caught up with the cares of the day, holding our mind to the job that we might do it right, and we bemoan the fact that we do not have enough time to “study” and wait upon the Lord for the answers to our problems. Weary and exhausted we retire to our bed, and find that GOD BEGINS TO IMPART. Well He knows, that if we were conscious of all the instruction we received, we would tell His secrets prematurely to others, or miss-use that knowledge for the building up of the flesh, and the kingdoms of men. So He sealeth up their instruction. But in due time the need arises, and our heart cries out to God for help, and the holy Spirit, who was sent to bring all things to our remembrance, whatsoever He had told us, brings forth to our conscious mind that instruction which the Lord sealed up during the “night seasons”.

Many have grappled with a problem all day, unable to find an answer, so they prayed, committed it to the Lord, and went to bed to sleep. Yet in the morning as they arose and their mind turned again to the problem, they found they knew the answer. Where did it come from? Ah, out of the thoughts of the night, God has implanted that needed fragment of knowledge.

The Psalmist must have experienced this also. “I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.” (Psalm 16:70). How wonderful to know that GOD IS THERE, through the night seasons, to impart of His wisdom and understanding, to quiet our hearts, speak peace to the inner man, and to give courage to face a new day with positive attitudes. Blessed is the one who finds “his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night”, (Psalm 1:2).

Then out of the night shall come a song,
His truth prevails over every wrong.

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and the Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

This word “despising” from a Greek word that means, “to think down”, which is just the opposite of mushrooming it out of proportion. He did not dwell on the shame of the cross and how awful the dying process, but He had respect unto the joy, which was set before Him. He was joy-conscious!

We read, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I life; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God”, (Galatians 2:20-21).

There has been much needed teaching on the death to self process, for without it there can be no resurrection into His more abundant life. But there comes a time when we need to become more LIFE-CONSCIOUS. Phillips gives, “My present life is not that of the old ‘I; but the LIVING CHRIST WITHIN ME”. In whatever measures of this new life we have our portion, let us rejoice. As we daily commit our way unto the Lord, He is going to bring about a certain amount of the death process during that day, but at the same time He is also going to LIVE HIS LIFE THROUGH US, as it is needed. You will not have to worry about “dying’ during the day, He will see to it that this is accomplished. But it will certainly bring a new manifestation of victory if we become more LIFE-CONSCIOUS, and begin to see the Hand of God working in us to bring forth the expressions of His life.

Betimes, when going through a trial and inner death to self, one would ask, “how are things going?” and I would answer, “just fine”. Then wonder if I was being hypocritical. Then He said to me, “When thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto Thy Father which is in heaven”. And the principle was clear – rejoice in His joy and life, regardless of the temporary conditions. Confess His victory!

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out.”     (Revelation 3:12)

A pillar is one who supports, bears the load without wavering, always stedfast, faithful.  There is a place in God where we are “stedfast, unmoveable”, (I Corinthians 15:58), “being rooted and grounded in love”, (Ephesians 3:17).

God is establishing His pillars, and upon them He shall build His kingdom in the days ahead.  The process of producing OVERCOMERS results in receiving those who do gain the victory, and thus qualify for becoming His “pillar and ground of the truth”, (I Tim. 3:15), from whence the kingdom shall arise.  Settled in Christ they are not blown about by every wind of doctrine.  Founded upon the Rock they need not run to and fro, to seek Christ in the desert or in the far city.  He dwells within them, and they dwell in Him.

“All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when He lifteth up an ensign on the mountains,” (Isa. 18:3).  God’s ensign, His pillar and ground of the truth, shall not be pointing in first one direction, and then with a change of mind point in another direction.  These shall KNOW THEIR GOD, and they shall consistently point men to HIM.  Their lives shall be a solid, living declaration of truth.  Their state of being shall challenge men and women to right-ness.

The opposite of this elect company is found in Proverbs 5:6, which well describes the religious harlot systems of Babylon, “Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them”.  Moveable ways!  Nothing stable.  As the waves of the sea, driven and tossed, double minded in all their ways.  Trying to serve God and the flesh at the same time, it is utter con-fusion.

But the “pillars” whom the Lord is preparing “know in Whom they have believed”, thus changing circumstances do not alter their standing.  Trials and testings do not dim their vision.  HE IS, and they are IN HIM.