In our last study, we discussed how that the dark trials we sometimes endure are not at all by chance or without purpose. God wants to help us build spiritual strength and endurance, deepen our faith, and develop His likeness in us—if we will let Him. But He may have to do it in darkness.
Let’s pick up where we left off in considering the soul work God does in His darkroom:
We bring the negatives—He provides the Light.
In the darkroom, a device is used to carefully shine light through a negative onto photo paper, reversing the backward image and bringing it into its proper orientation.
When we present our negatives to Jesus, He works to reverse them. Darkness becomes light, discontent becomes peace, sorrow becomes joy—mourning turns to dancing. He uses our negatives, through the transformation of His LIGHT, to create in us His perfect positive image. That is, IF we let Him.
Proper materials are critical.
Not just any paper will do in the darkroom. It must be photographic paper, which has a special light-sensitive coating that reacts to light on its surface. Untreated paper, on the other hand, is insensitive to light and does not respond to the chemicals used for development. For the purpose of the darkroom, it’s useless.
For God to develop His image in us, we must provide Him with a prepared heart—ready to receive and respond to His pure light and the process He chooses to develop His character in us. However, if we remain hard, insensitive, prideful, and self-centered—refusing the work of God’s development—it will not take effect. All the difficult seasons of suffering, waiting, and pain will be virtually … for nothing.
Timing is critical.
Development takes time. If you try to hurry the process, the photograph will be ruined. You must be patient and allow the process to reveal the hidden image. But the opposite is also true. If the film is subjected to the developer too long, the image becomes overexposed—dark areas turn totally black, highlights get muddy, and the picture is distorted.
God’s image is already imprinted on us—as His creation. But His likeness may be hidden—it will not be visible in us until it is developed. God’s development takes time. There is clarity coming—but true, lasting transformation happens slowly.
Here’s a promise: if the Master has us in His darkroom, He will never abandon us. He stays in the room with us and watches the timer closely. Never fear. His development will not destroy us. God will finish the work and pull us out at the exact right moment. Wait in hope.
The final image is NOT up to you.
Though the Master uses our negatives and our prepared heart, the desired image is designed, created, and controlled solely by Him. It is already in His mind while He works His will on us.
The trials He allows are specially curated for us, for the Master knows what we need and what He desires to see in us. Every photograph requires its own exposure time—no two images are developed exactly the same. Likewise, our time in God’s darkroom will not be the same as another’s, so comparing is useless.
It’s not the paper’s role to design the picture, nor does the negative control the process of development. We are but the raw materials presented for Him to work with—only He controls the final outcome.
“As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:49 KJV)
We walk by FAITH, not by our sight. In God’s darkroom, “we see through a glass darkly” and things not yet visible to us are working together for our good—to develop us into His image. We can rest assured that all the trials, pain, and uncertainty of God’s darkroom will produce in us a permanent masterpiece, with a beauty that does not fade. We will be prepared to present His image—and bear His name—to the world.
“Put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Colossians 3:10 KJV)
Finally, if our hearts belong to Jesus and we live for Him, we must not fear His discipline. Yes, we may experience hard times in His darkroom, but it is NEVER indefinite and NEVER without abundant grace to endure. We may become impatient, but remember: God is faithful to finish what He starts. It is the LORD “who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness.” (1 Corinthians 4:5) He will stay in the darkroom with us, seeing to completion the work that He has begun.
You are not alone. Dear reader, I’m there right now, too. I have prayed for you—that YOU might come out of His darkroom stronger, more confident and hopeful, with the clear evidence of Jesus’ hand on your life.
You are not forgotten. You are not discarded. Take heart—you are being developed.
(Part 2 of 2)
